The Second Time Around
by collegegirl21
Summary: This story is a continuation of the pack's journey to Paradise. The characters are reborn and the pack has been reunited. Except for one: Toboe. Will the pack find him? Will they succeed in finding Paradise?
1. Chapter 1

The Second Time Around

Wolf's Rain fanfic

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Wolf's Rain.**

 _This is a continuation of where the anime ended. Toboe's story is going to be told in first person. This chapter is a backstory to his life before he is a human in the final scene of the anime. Enjoy!_

Chapter 1:

Toboe

My life has never felt normal. Even as a young cub living in a small pack of wolves, something about my life never seemed right. It was like I was missing something, but I could never figure out exactly what makes me feel like this. It was like there was a part of me that felt… lost? Empty? I don't have the words to describe it. Was I just different?

Even my own brothers and sisters treated me differently. I was never really in the mood for play fighting as a cub. I didn't like violence, even if it was pretend fighting. After a while, my brothers and sisters got the hint that I didn't care about the social hierarchy in the pack. Of course the hierarchy can change when we leave cubhood behind, but it didn't really matter where I stood in the pack.

I loved to spend my time playing in water or just basking in the sun for hours. Life feels so peaceful when I take naps in the sunlight. Whenever Mother Wolf was willing to take us to the river, she would let us play in the water and get our paws wet.

I love my mother. She was the only parent my siblings and I had. The wolf who fathered us was supposedly killed by a hunter shortly after we were born. I don't remember him. I hadn't opened my eyes before he died. Thankfully, the members of the pack were willing to hunt for food and bring it to my mom so she wouldn't starve.

As my brothers and sisters got older, the adults started taking us away from the den to watch how to hunt. I watched, but I didn't pay too much attention to strategies or anything. If I ever got the chance, I would sneak off and enjoy being by myself. It's not that I don't like my pack. I feel like I don't belong here. I keep having dreams or visions of being with a pack of four wolves, including me. Something about these wolves in my fantasies feels warm and familiar. The leader is an Arctic wolf with the personality of an alpha male. There is a grey wolf with a scar on his chest. And the other is a light brown wolf who is a little on the heavy side.

A voice broke my train of thought. It wasn't a wolf. _Oh, no!,_ I thought. _I travelled too far. Mother's going to kill me!_ But there was something different about this voice… no there are more of them, but I didn't know what they were. Curiosity took over and I slowly walked towards the strange noises.

"Hey, Joe. Look!" said one of the humans.

A man whisted. "A red wolf. Would you look at him? He's just a little pup!"

"He must be the runt of the litter. He looks too small for his age," said the other human. He held out a rib he had been eating in front of me.

Every instinct in my body was telling me to run. _But that meat looks so good!_ , a voice inside my head argued. _I don't have to kill in order to survive. Humans seem nice enough. Maybe humans can feed my pack and the adults won't have to worry about hunting anymore._ I walked towards the meat and the human put it down on the ground. I started eating and I could feel the hunger subsiding. Next thing I knew, one of the humans picked me up by the scruff of my neck. I panicked. I started thrashing and desperately trying to free myself, but to no avail.

"Put him in the crate and we'll take him with us. A pup can't survive alone out here in the wilderness. A predator will kill him for sure," one of the humans said.

I heard a howl in the distance. Mother's howl. She finally realized I'm gone. _Maybe if I howl back, she'll come save me._ I tried, but it turned out to be a pitiful squeak. I haven't learned how to howl yet. There was nothing I could do to escape. I am going to be ripped away from my pack for good. I sadly listened to my mother's heart broken howls fade in the distance. _Good bye._ I whispered.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Toboe

I felt a deep sadness within me. I'm a 12 week old pup who wandered too far from his mother's sight. Now I've been captured and forced to face the unknown. _Is this the end? Am I going to be killed by these humans?,_ I thought. _How can I protect myself? I'm too small, too young to be alone. Why is this happening to me?_

I don't know how much time passed. The humans were in the front of the car, talking and laughing for some reason. I could feel the vibrations underneath my tiny paws. The humans were still taking me away, further away from the life I have always known. I hope Mother will be okay. She will probably miss me, but she still has my brothers and sisters to look after. I wouldn't want her to feel sad forever.

Suddenly my eyes felt heavy. The emotional turmoil has drained the last bit of energy I had. I had to sleep. The only way to get out of here would be to save my strength and find a way to break free. It's the only chance I have of getting back home. I closed my eyes and slowly drifted to sleep…

Next thing I knew, the car stopped moving and the humans picked up the crate I was in and carried me to a strange place. I listened carefully to what the humans were saying.

An old lady appeared. She seemed friendly. "Hello. Welcome to the Endangered Wolf Center. How may I help you?"

One of the humans carrying me spoke, "We would like to donate this wolf pup to the research center. We found this little guy alone and separated from his pack. We assumed he was abandoned."

"Poor thing!" said the old woman. She gave me a sympathetic look. There was no hostility in her demeanor. She seemed like a harmless old woman with graying hair and wrinkled skin.

She walked towards the other humans and asked them to put it down. She carefully opened the crate and patiently waited for me to come out. I was scared. Not of her, really but I didn't know her. I was afraid of pain. _Would she hurt me if she got the chance?,_ I wondered. Curiosity got the better of me and I slowly walked out of the crate and towards the kind old woman. She reached out her arms and picked me up.

"Good boy," she said, softly and gently. "Granny's got you. There's no need to be afraid, Toboe."

 _Toboe_? That name sounded familiar somehow. I liked it. My mother didn't give me a name, so I was content with the one Granny gave me.

Granny started to pet me. It felt good. It felt… comforting, almost the same sensation as my mother licking me to show affection, except with a hand instead of a tongue. I relaxed my muscles and cuddled into Granny's thin arms. All thoughts of running away were gone. How can I run away from someone who has shown me such kindness? Before I knew it, the humans who captured me were gone and now I felt at peace in my new life here with Granny.

* * *

 _ **3 months later…**_

Kiba

I walked through the streets of Freeze City. I was on my way back to the apartment where my pack lived for the time being. I remember who I was before this life. I kept my original name, because I wanted to hold onto who I was in my previous life. The others have decided to keep their original names too. That was how we found each other. In our previous lives, we met in Freeze City and that was how the pack formed.

Most of us are together now. I found Tsume first, then Hige, and Blue. The only one left was Toboe. For some reason, we were having a hard time finding the naive pup. Cheza wouldn't join us until the entire pack was together. I knew, because that's the way it happened the first time. I sighed. I missed Cheza and Toboe. The pain of their loss from the previous life still stung.

When I died, I wanted to be reincarnated as soon as possible. As soon as I got the chance to leave Heaven and continue my journey to Paradise, I didn't hesitate. I wanted to remember my past life. The sooner a spirit reincarnates into a new body, the easier it will be to remember experiences from a past life. I couldn't risk the possibility of forgetting my destiny to go to Paradise. I don't remember Heaven. No one from the physical world is supposed to remember their experience in Heaven. I doubt Heaven could ever compare with Paradise. Apparently, the others agree with with that. Everyone remembers their past life. By now, all our memories have come back to us over time.

I decided to keep my human disguise during my stay here in Freeze City. It wouldn't do any good to put my pack in danger by walking around in my true form. We all agreed to keep up appearances for our safety.

I just couldn't wait to find Toboe and get the hell out of here so we can start looking for Paradise. _Why did he have to die? He didn't deserve to die like that. He deserved to go to Paradise with us,_ I thought. After Toboe's death, going to Paradise seemed pointless. The only thing that really mattered was preventing Darcia from entering Paradise and keeping the others alive. The latter failed. The only consolation was that he managed to defeat Darcia, but at the cost of my life and everyone else I desperately tried to protect. Toboe's death was untimely and unfair. He obviously suffered a slow death from the bullet wound in his upper back. I cringed. I felt tears of sadness stinging my eyes. He didn't seeing exactly what happened, but he remembered the feelings of remorse and loss when he found Toboe's limp and lifeless body in the arms of the old man who hunted them from the beginning of the journey. _That will NOT happen again. I will protect my pack with my life. I will succeed where I failed the first time,_ I vowed inwardly.

I walked up to the apartment where my friends and I were staying. Tsume and Hige would already be home. Blue liked to spend the most time away from the apartment. She liked having time to herself. Blue worked for a Wolf Research Center or whatever it was called. Blue enjoyed helping our kind who were taken into captivity by humans. Why she liked it was beyond me.

I opened the door and walked inside. I saw Tsume sitting on the living room couch. "Hey." I greeted him.

"Hey," Tsume said, voice emotionless and indifferent. Same old Tsume.

"Where's Hige?" I asked.

"He decided to go with Blue to work today. He said something about helping a wolf adjust to captivity," Tsume said.

"I'm glad that Blue likes her job. We just got here a week ago and she found a job within that time," I said.

Tsume didn't say anything. He had that far away look in his eyes. He was deep in thought about something. After knowing Tsume for so long, it wasn't hard to guess what he was thinking about. Toboe was still a sensitive topic for Tsume. He blamed himself for Toboe's death. Tsume sent Toboe to bring the humans back to the group. He felt that if he hadn't split up the group, Darcia wouldn't have gotten the chance to shoot Toboe.

I sighed. I felt Tsume's pain. I can only imagine the guilt he must feel for what happened. As soon as Tsume's memories came back, the guilt started eating him up inside. I felt guilty too. As a leader, Toboe was my responsibility. I shouldn't have let him go alone. That doesn't matter anymore. We will find him and make things right.

"We're going to find him, Tsume," I said. "I swear it."

"Don't make promises you can't keep, Kiba," Tsume warned.

"I have no doubt that we will bring him back to us and he will be the pup we knew before. We have to have faith that he will remember us," I said, confidence in my tone.

"There's no way I'm giving up on finding him," Tsume said. "The kid is the reason I joined the pack. I owe him for that."

I smiled. It was obvious that Tsume and Toboe had a bond. Toboe looked up to Tsume. I understood completely why Tsume wanted to stay behind and say good bye to Toboe. If his loss was painful for me, I can only imagine how much harder it was for Tsume. Toboe was his first friend in the pack.

My thoughts were interrupted by the appearance of Hige and Blue. Hige looked like he was out of breath. "Guys!" he said urgently through his raspy breathing.

"What is it?" I asked, feeling uneasy about Hige's behavior.

"You'll never guess what happened!" Blue said, excitement apparent in her voice.

"Just spit it out!" barked Tsume.

Hige gave Tsume an angry look, but it was instantly replaced with happiness. "We found Toboe."


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Wolf Rain**

 _I hope you enjoy this chapter and give me some reviews!_

Chapter 3

Tsume

I couldn't believe it! How was this possible? I had almost given up hope of finding Toboe. The runt was here, in the city?

"Where is he? Why isn't he with you?" I asked.

"That's the problem. He was brought to the Endangered Wolf Center three months ago. It doesn't seem like he has any memories of us," Hige said. He had a downcast look in his eyes.

I didn't blame him. We've been waiting for this moment for so long. There had to be a way to fix this.

"Only time can bring his memories back," Kiba murmured. "There's no guarantee that we can bring back the wolf he once was. How old is he now?"

"Granny said he's six months old," Blue answered.

"He's too young to remember his past life," Kiba said. "It's ironic that he is younger than us in this life. Just like he was in his past life."

I had to agree with that. Unfortunately, this is an inconvenience. "So what are we going to do now?" I asked. "Should we wait for him or not?"

"We can wait a little longer," Hige jumped in. "We all started getting our memories back when we were a little older than he is now. We have the rest of our lives to go to Paradise."

"Agreed," Kiba declared. "We might be able to jog his memory if we go to see him frequently. The hard part will be to get him out of the facility."

I pinched the bridge of my nose. _Damn it!_ , I thought. We're so close to getting our friend back.

"No, that's not a problem," Blue said.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"I'm an employee. I'm allowed to bring the young wolves home to take care of them. I was given permission to be an animal sitter," Blue explained.

"Do you think you can get permission from your boss to bring him here?" Hige asked.

"Toboe's young enough. I believe so. Wolves can only have sitters if they are habituated to humans. The more time Toboe spends with humans, the better his chances are to stay here," Blue stated.

Blue's plan was pretty convincing. I'll give her that. The consequences of her getting caught trying to steal a wolf from the company she works for would mean losing her job or possibly getting arrested.

"There's one flaw with the plan," I countered.

Everyone turned to me. _Do I really have to say it?_ "They put trackers in the wolves in case they get loose and run away. If we took Toboe with us, those humans will be on our tails. He won't be able to use his human disguise until he's at least a year old."

Hige growled in frustration. Kiba put his head in his hands. I can't deny that I feel the same as they do. The feeling of being so close and yet so far…

"If only Cheza were here," said Kiba. "She would know what to do. She might be able to turn off the tracker for good."

"We can cross that bridge when we come to it," Blue suggested. "Right now, the best thing we can do for Toboe is to help him remember us and Paradise. I'm going to request permission to let him stay here."

I looked at Kiba, curious to know what is answer will be. This plan was risky. It didn't scare me, because we've been in worse situations before. We all turned to Kiba.

"Let's get our friend back," Kiba said with the utmost conviction.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Toboe

I walked around the area. There was a fence meant to keep my kind from leaving. Other than that, I like it here. The other wolves were really nice to me. They explained that I was here, because red wolves are an endangered species. I liked to talk to the other wolves that were in the same age range as me. My best friend is named Akio. I guess I get along with him so well, because we both have an easy going nature.

"How did you get here?" Akio asked me.

"I was captured by humans after I strayed too far from my pack during a hunting lesson," I told him.

Akio looked surprised. Akio had never seen the wild. His mother was pregnant when she got here.

"Do you miss it? The wild, I mean," Akio asked.

I hesitated. _How can I answer the question?_ "I don't know." I admitted. "I felt lonely in my original pack. I'm happy here."

"Hmmm," Akio muttered.

A woman with black hair and blue eyes approached us. "Hi, Toboe." she said.

I liked this woman. She was nice. Although, there was something mysterious about her. I didn't know how to explain it, but I kept getting the feeling that she could understand me. What was her name again? Blue. That's it!

"Come on, Toboe. You're coming home with me," Blue told me. She carefully picked me up and took me to Human Resources. She reassured me that the crate is safe. I obeyed and let her put me inside the crate. I trusted Blue. She started working here a week ago and I felt attached to her instantly.

She drove me to her home. It was a pretty big apartment, but it was cozy. Definitely enough space to explore. I could tell that I will like it here.

"Are you hungry, Toboe?" she asked.

I whined in response. Blue smiled at that. "Here you go." She pet my head.

The door opened and a familiar human walked in. Hige.

"Hey, Blue," he greeted. He noticed me. He stared at me in a way that made me feel self-conscious. _Why is he looking at me like that?_

Blue noticed and said, "This is him, Hige. Wait until the others get back." She gave him a look I didn't understand. There was a hidden meaning behind her words.

"Come here," Hige told me.

I obeyed. He stroked my fur. I will never get tired of getting petted. It's so relaxing. I heard the door open to reveal a strange human I've never met before. He seemed to be less friendly than the others. He had white hair and dark skin.

"Tsume, meet Toboe," Hige said.

Tsume did a double take. I didn't understand why. Why was everybody acting so weird around me? Tsume walked away. Hige watched him go with a sympathetic look.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Tsume

I shouldn't have been so surprised. When I walked through the door, somehow I expected to see the Toboe that I remember, around 14 years old in human years but this pup is much younger and smaller than before. I already knew that Toboe is six months old in this life, but I was secretly hoping the pup would recognize us from his past life. I hate to say it, but I couldn't help feeling disappointed. Toboe had been so happy and so eager to keep the pack together. This little pup is like an empty shell of who I considered a friend.

I couldn't take it anymore. I had to leave the room. I half expected Hige to berate me for walking away. Instead, he watched me go to my room.

I sat down and stared at the wall. _Is this really the Toboe we once knew?_ I was skeptical about this whole thing. The pup isn't even old enough to know how to disguise himself as a human, let alone sense that we are all wolves. He must think we are all humans. Where has he been all this time? Why couldn't we find him?

I reflected on how I saw him in our previous life. He was such a scrawny little pup. He was so innocent, kind, gentle, and pesky. Somehow the latter trait became endearing. I guess when you've been around someone for so long, they tend to grow on you. And somehow that stupid kid found his way into my heart. Toboe trusted me without a shadow of a doubt. As hard as I tried to push him away, he told me that he liked me anyway. He never gave up on trying to win my approval. At first, it was irritating. He wouldn't stop following me around like the typical defenseless pup he was. Later on, I realized that he wanted me to protect him. I couldn't blame him for that. Wolves don't usually live alone. In the wild, living alone is suicide.

What really won me over was his refusal to let me walk away from the pack when we went to the first city we visited. We spent the night in the station. I remember watching him howl at the moon. When he was tired, he slept on one end of the bench and I took the other.

I smiled at the memory. It was funny how much someone means to you after having such a positive impact on your life.

I turned my head and saw my bedroom door open. It was open and left ajar. I saw a tiny head peak in. Toboe. How did he know I was thinking of him? Toboe looked at me expectantly.

"Come here, Toboe," I said.

He walked towards the bed and jumped up. I watched him lie down and stay there without a care in the world. He looked at me with those big eyes. I laid down and put my arms under my head. I closed my eyes and fell into nothingness.

When I woke up, Toboe was sleeping on the other end of my bed. He looked so tiny and peaceful. Not unlike the wolf he was before. _Shut up!_ I told myself. I had to resist the urge to give in and tell Toboe everything, but that would overwhelm him.

I heard a knock on my door. Hige walked in. He looked at me and then saw Toboe sleeping soundly on my bed.

"What is it?" I asked, glad to have my thoughts interrupted.

"Kiba's back," Hige told me. "Are you ready?"

I knew what he meant. It was time to show Toboe who we really are. We can't tell him about his past life yet, but it will help him if he knows that he's not alone. He will need our support when his memories come back.

"Let's go," I said.

Hige picked up Toboe and carried him to the living room. Kiba sat in a chair looking lost in thought. Blue was sitting on the couch and Hige sat down next to her with Toboe in his lap. I decided to lean against a wall.

Kiba gave all of us a look as if to tell us what he was going to do next. He stood up and let his human disguise fall and revealed himself as a perfectly white wolf. Toboe stared at Kiba. He seemed to be frozen in place. Blue, Hige, and I let our disguises fall too. I studied Toboe's face. His reaction was a mix of shock and bewilderment.

"Toboe, are you okay?" Hige asked the pup.

"All this time, I thought you guys were humans. How is this possible?" Toboe asked.

"Wolves are able to hide their true form by disguising themselves as humans," Kiba explained. "You are too young to learn this skill. We want to help you."

"Help me?" Toboe questioned.

"Yes. Where were you born?" Kiba asked.

"I was born in the wilderness," Toboe answered. "I have never seen anyone in my pack hide their true form to pretend to be humans."

"It's not necessary to hide your true form if you live in the wilderness," Kiba said. His voice eerily calm.

"How did you end up in the Endangered Wolf Center?" Hige asked, impatiently. I had to hold back a growl. I hated the thought of our kind living in that prison.

Toboe lowered his head with a sad look in his eyes. "I was taken from my pack. I went with them to observe hunting techniques and then I wandered too far. A human tempted me with some meat and then they captured me. That's how I ended up there."

Everyone was silent. That explains how Toboe came here to Freeze City before he got his memories back. I felt angry that Toboe went through something like that. Toboe always had a soft spot for humans. It was a cruel twist of fate that a _human_ stole him from his pack and his home.

"I'm sorry, Toboe," Blue said in a motherly voice.

"You're not alone anymore. We are going to look after you," Kiba said.

"I had a dream about you guys many times while I was growing up," Toboe told us.

I froze. _What did that mean? Is he starting to remember?_ I looked over at Kiba, hoping he knew what to do in this situation. Kiba obviously hadn't been expecting that revelation.

"What do you mean, Toboe?" Kiba asked, excitement in his voice.

Hige's eyes widened. I knew what he was thinking and it was too soon. The pup already has enough to process right now. That didn't make me any less curious about Toboe's dreams.

"Well, in one of my dreams, we were running in the snow. Blue wasn't with us in the dream. We were running freely and trying to get to a place called… erm… I don't remember what it was called, but remember an Arctic wolf with a dominant personality, a light brown wolf with a crude sense of humor about girls, and a gray wolf with an X-shaped scar on his chest.

"I don't know what the dream means, but I just know that it's been a recurring dream for as long as I can remember."

It was weird how Toboe could remember all those details. Everything he said matched each of us perfectly. This is definitely our Toboe. I released a breath I hadn't realized I've been holding. Of course, I no longer have the scar on my chest like my past life did. I was actually glad about that. I don't need a physical reminder of my past life's sin. I put that behind me a long time ago.

Kiba was quiet for a long time. He was trying to think of the right thing to say. We couldn't let Toboe think it was just a dream, but we couldn't tell him it was a memory from a past life. That last thought caused hope to rise in my chest. Toboe was going to remember us. His spirit will be able to recall past experiences. He will remember Paradise.

"We're happy to have you, Toboe," Kiba said. "You can stay with us for as long as you like."

"Thanks," Toboe replied, happily. He wants to stay.

"Since you don't know how to disguise yourself as a human, you're going to have to stay inside," Kiba warned. "It's too risky to take you out in the open. Humans have always been afraid of us."

"It's okay," Toboe said, half-heartedly. I couldn't blame him for not wanting to be cooped up in this apartment.

"Don't worry," Hige said. "I'll be with you the whole time. You won't get lonely."

Toboe's ears perked up at that statement. It was obvious the pup liked Hige and would enjoy spending time with him. Hige seemed happy to have Toboe around. Their relationship isn't exactly the same as it was before, but that will change with time.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

 _ **6 months later…**_

Toboe

The last six months went by like seconds. I really liked being here in the pack. Kiba, Tsume, and Blue spent most of the day working. Hige wasn't working yet because he's younger than sixteen, he wasn't legally old enough to work yet. We spent a lot of time together, playing tug-of-war and watching TV. Whenever he did the dishes, he let me lick the plates and bowls before putting them in the dishwasher. Since I couldn't turn into my human form yet, there were only a few things I could do to help around the apartment, such as picking up anything lying on the floor before Hige vacuums. I enjoyed every minute of it.

I felt like I truly belonged with them. They took me in and gave me a home with my own kind. I can't remember a time when I was this happy.

Tsume and Kiba were trying to teach me how to hide my true form before I reached my first birthday (in wolf years). They told me I had to keep calm and picture myself as a human. It didn't sound too hard. They both made it clear that this ability wouldn't be possible until I am at least a year old. My birthday would be coming up soon, so I practiced keeping my head clear and focusing on changing form. I trained my mind to focus.

One night, I was sleeping on the living room couch. Blue and Hige shared a room and Kiba and Tsume had their own bedrooms. They didn't have an extra bedroom, so I agreed to sleep on the couch. I had a dream that night that was a little older than I am now and I was living on the streets.

 _I went to eat a potato that fell on the ground, but then I looked up and saw a human girl walking towards it. She picked it up and put in her grocery bag. She glanced at me and smiled, offering me some sausages._

" _Here. Try some of these. They taste better," She held out her arm towards me._

 _I whimpered, unsure if I should trust her._

" _Come on, you can have them. You're hungry, aren't you?" She said._

 _I slowly walked towards her. She bent her knees until she was at eye level with me. She didn't flinch or give any indication of fear. I sniffed the sausages. I didn't know what to do. I was reluctant to trust a human I didn't know._

" _Don't be afraid," her voice soft and reassuring._

 _I whimpered._

" _They're not poisoned or anything," To prove her point, she took a small bite. "See? It's fine."_

 _I sniffed the sausages again and gave them a lick before eating them in one bite._

" _Where did you come from, little fella?" she asked. "If you run around here too long, the dog catchers will get you for sure."_

 _I surprised her by licking her hand affectionately. In return, she rubbed my chin gently. I couldn't remember the last time I received physical contact._ _I whined, hoping that she would take me home with her._

" _You sure are warm, aren't you boy?" she said._

" _Leara!" her father called._

 _She rubbed my head one last time. "Bye, now." I followed her as she walked away. "No, stay. Sorry, boy but even if you followed me home, I couldn't keep you."_

 _I sat down._

" _That's funny. It's almost like you can understand me," she said, amazement in her tone. "I'm sorry."_

The dream shifted.

 _Leara was walking alone through the city. A young boy with brown hair watches her from his hiding place. He leans against a building as if he's been there the entire time. Leara notices him, but keeps walking. The boy runs to catch up with her._

" _Uh, thanks a lot… for before," the boy says, nervously._

" _Huh?" Leara asked, confused._

" _For the sausages," the boy clarified._

 _Leara gives the boy a suspicious look as if to ask how he knew about that._

" _Uh, remember back in the alley? Well, that was my dog you gave them to,"_

 _Leara gasped, "That beautiful dog belongs to you?"_

 _The boy's eyes widened. "That beautiful…" he regains his composure. Uh, yeah, Yeah, he's mine."_

" _But how did you know about it?" she asked._

" _Um… I… I heard it from a lady at the store," the boy answered._

" _What's the name anyway?"_

 _The boy chuckled. "The name is Toboe."_

" _Toboe," she laughs. "What a weird name."_

" _You think so?" the boy smiled. "Yeah, I guess it is."_

" _My name's Leara. What's yours?"_

" _I said it's Toboe."_

" _I thought that was your dog's name," her brow furrowed in confusion._

" _Well, we're a lot alike, so I decided to name him after myself," he lied._

" _You're pretty weird, alright," she commented._

 _Toboe giggles childishly at the comment._

"Toboe. Toboe!" someone shouted my name. I woke up with a start, sitting bolt upright. _What happened?_

"What's wrong?" I asked. Everyone was watching and standing over me. I looked at their faces and no one seemed scared or worried.

"You managed to change form. You look like a human!" Hige smiled. "All your hard work has paid off. Now you can go out in public and appear as a human."

I did it? I can use the disguise now?

"Congratulations, Toboe," Blue said. There was a proud smile on her face.

"Wow. Right before I woke up, I had a dream about myself disguised as a human," I revealed.

Kiba's eyes widened. Everyone else was taken aback by this revelation. The dream felt real, but I couldn't tell if it meant anything. I wasn't going to think too much about it.

"What happened in your dream, Toboe?" Kiba asked. There was a look of alarm in his eyes.

"Uh, well… in the dream, I was a wolf and living on the streets. I met a nice girl named Leara. She fed me when I was starving and I wanted her to take me home with her. Then the dream shifted and I was a human boy thanking her for the sausages. I told her I named my dog 'Toboe' after myself…" It sounded like a ridiculous dream. I felt a little embarrassed and felt my cheeks redden somewhat. "But it's just a weird dream." I brushed it off.

Kiba and Tsume shared a look and turned back to me. He seemed to be at a loss for words. It felt like my friends were hiding something from me.

 _Toboe._ A disembodied voice spoke my name. I heard a sad, angelic song come from the voice. Next thing I knew, I held my head in my hands to ward off the worst headache I've ever gotten. My head felt like it would split in two. A scream ripped out of my throat as the pounding in my head got worse. I felt myself falling into unconsciousness.

I woke up to a blinding white light. Was I dead? Was the voice I heard the Angel of Death? No, I couldn't be dead.

Someone gripped my shoulder. "Hey, are you okay?" Hige. "What the hell happened to you?"

"I… I don't know what happened. I just heard a girl's voice, a beautiful disembodied voice and I instantly got a headache," I told him. "How long was I out?"

"An hour," Hige said. "I'm going to give you an ice pack for your headache." He left for the kitchen and came back hurriedly.

"Where are the others?" I asked, taking the ice pack from Hige.

"They had to go to work. Kiba told me to call him as soon as you wake up," Hige took out his cell phone and dialed a number. The phone rang once before the other end picked up. A second passed. "Yeah, he's awake." Silence. Hige looked at me. "Kiba wants to talk to you."

Hige handed me the phone. "Kiba?"

"Toboe," Kiba sighed in relief. "How are you feeling?"

"My head still hurts and I feel a feverish," I murmured. Now that I thought about it, the fever was getting slightly worse.

"Take it easy today," Kiba advised me. "Just rest. Hige will take care of you. I'll see you around five tonight."

"Okay," I replied. "Bye, Kiba."

"Bye, Toboe. Feel better," Kiba said. "Put Hige back on the phone."

I held the phone towards Hige. "Kiba wants to talk to you."

Hige took the phone. "Hey." Silence. "I'll make sure he gets some rest. Bye." Hige hung up the phone. Hige turns to me and says. "Do you need anything?"

"Water," I answered. It was becoming painful to talk because of the fever.

Hige went to the kitchen to get me a glass of water. When he came back, he studied my face. He stood on his knees in front of me and felt my forehead. He flinched and pulled his hand away.

"You're burning up!" Hige's voice rose. "Wait here. I'll get you some ibuprofen for the fever." He left and came back quickly. I took the two ibuprofen tablets and swallowed them. The cold water helped wash it down. I drank the water greedily. My throat was really dry.

"More water?" Hige asked. I nodded. He left for the kitchen and came back quickly. He handed me the glass.

"Thank you, Hige," I said.

He smiled in response. "I'm glad you're okay. You had us worried there. Tsume was ready to call an ambulance. I've never seen him so scared. It looked like you were having a seizure."

That surprised me. Tsume was usually pretty distant from all of us. I figured it was in his nature and not personal. Tsume could get angry, but he never stayed angry for long. Most of the time, Tsume seemed quiet and composed. Sometimes I noticed Tsume looking at me like he was hoping I'll do something or he's waiting for something to happen. _No_ , I brushed the thought aside.

"Hige, do you think dreams mean anything?" I asked.

"Sure. Why?" Hige said.

"When I told you about my dream, I heard a voice say my name. A girl's voice. It was beautiful and sad. The song was gut-wrenching," I told him.

Hige didn't say anything for a long time. Probably trying to think of the right thing to say. He sighed, "I think there are things that can't be explained. Your dream, the voice, and your sudden illness can't be explained."

I sensed there was a hidden meaning in his words. It sounded like he knew more than he was letting on. My instincts were telling me there was something going on.

"Get some rest," Hige told me. "You look tired."

My eyes suddenly felt very heavy. Maybe a nap will help get rid of the headache. I pulled the blanket over my shoulders and fell asleep.

I was having another dream.

" _Let me see it," Kiba ordered._

" _Okay," I murmured. My ankle was in pain._

 _A girl sat behind a tree and let out a long sigh. She had short purple hair. Her red eyes were big in contrast to her fair complexion._

 _Kiba examined my foot carefully. "Well, it doesn't look sprained," he observed. Kiba held my left ankle in his hands and applied a little pressure on it. I groaned in pain._

" _He can't even handle this little forest," Hige said. His tone was annoying. "Like I always say, 'You can't take city kids to the woods.'"_

 _I glared at Hige in annoyance._

 _Kiba ignored him and focused his attention on me, "Do you think you can walk?"_

" _I'm okay," I tried to be convincing. "I can walk just f-" I stumbled back from trying to stand with an injured ankle. I cried out in pain._

 _The girl quietly walked towards me. She bent her knees and crouched in front of me._

" _Cheza?" Hige said._

 _She started petting my ankle slowly. "Cheza?" I moaned. "Wow. Thanks, Cheza!" I was happy that the pain was gone._

 _Hige crouched down next to Kiba. "Does that feel good?"_

" _Real good. The pain is just melting away," I couldn't stop moaning. The sensation felt so good. I started to get giggly._

" _Um, Cheza, could you pet me too?" Hige asked. Right away, Hige started to feel giddy._

" _Come on, Tsume! Have Cheza pet you too. It feels unbelievable," I called. Of course Tsume didn't move. He just frowned._

" _She smells so good!" Hige said, joyfully._

I woke up with a start. My headache was gone, but my fever was still there. I sat up and put my head in my hands.

Hige walked in the room. He saw me hide my face in my hands. "Are you okay?"

I didn't move a muscle. "Who's Cheza?" I asked Hige.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Hige

Where the hell did he hear that name?! He's getting his memories back. Kiba needs to know right away. First, I need to know what the dream/memory was about.

"What did you see in your dream?" I asked, trying to keep my voice calm. That was a challenge, because Toboe was regaining his memories faster than I would have thought possible. The kid was obviously freaking out. I need to calm him down.

"Nothing too exciting. My ankle was hurt and Kiba was checking to see if I sprained it. You kept making snarky remarks about city kids not being able to handle the woods. Then a girl with pixie cut came up and healed me. She started petting us. In the dream, you said her name was Cheza," Toboe revealed.

I blanched. He's definitely remembering who he was before. I had to warn Kiba. "Stay here. I'll be right back." I hurried into my room and locked the door. I pressed the speed dial button to call Kiba.

Kiba answered after the first ring, "Hello?"

"Kiba, thank goodness! Toboe remembers Cheza," I tried not to panic.

"What?" Kiba snapped.

I described Toboe's dream to Kiba. Kiba never interrupted once. "I don't know what to do." I admitted.

"My shift ends soon. I'll be there as soon as I can. Tsume should be on his way back by now," Kiba said. "I'll call him and let him know what's going on. Don't let Toboe out of your sight." he ordered.

"I won't," I promised. "See ya."

"See ya," Kiba quickly hung up.

I walked back to the living room. Toboe was sitting on the couch with his legs crossed and his head bowed. "What's happening to me, Hige?" his voice sounded low and scared.

The suspense is torture. I wish everyone were here right now. "I don't know, but we are going to figure it out." I put my hand on his shoulder to reassure him. He didn't move.

"Is there something wrong with me? Am I crazy?" Toboe asked. He sounded depressed.

"No!" I was shocked at the question, to say the least. I felt bad for the outburst. I sighed. "Toboe, you need to calm down. You're going to be okay, I promise."

Toboe didn't answer. The poor kid was having a meltdown. I can't say that I blame him. I was the same way when my memories started coming back. Thank goodness the first memories I had were good ones. I don't think I would be sane if they weren't. I remember it too, the headache and fever after seeing things that were from another lifetime.

The door opened and Tsume rushed in. His eyes fell on Toboe then he shot me a warning look that said, 'You better not have told him anything.'

I shook my head to deny the accusation. Tsume's face softened. He turned to Toboe. "Are you all right?"

"Physically or emotionally?" Toboe asked, cryptically.

Tsume rolled his eyes. "Both, I guess."

"Well, the headache is gone. The fever hasn't broken yet. I feel so confused," he mumbled, miserably. He wrapped his arms around his legs and hugged them to his chest.

Tsume looked at me. "We'll wait for Kiba and Blue to come back."

I nodded. I refused to leave Toboe's side. He shouldn't be alone at a time like this. I just hope he can handle what we are going to tell him. It was different for me, because my pack of origin helped me get through it. As soon as I got all my memories back, I travelled here to Freeze City in search of Kiba and the others. Blue, Kiba, and Tsume were already living together for a few days before I showed up.

It didn't take too long for us to find Toboe. I really wish he didn't get separated from his mom. She would have known how to help him. Not that I'm complaining about having to help him. I would have much rather seen Toboe come back to us with all his memories intact instead of him feeling scared and confused like he is now. If he came here on his own, he could come with us to Paradise of his own free will or he could stay with his original pack. But the latter isn't an option now. His choices are to either go with us to Paradise or go back to the Wolf Center. I hope he chooses the former.

I remember what it felt like to be afraid of losing him. That fear was a frequent experience in my previous lifetime. The kid a habit of putting himself in harm's way, much to my dismay. Unfortunately, I remember his death. Losing him was horrible. When someone you love dies, a huge part of you dies with them. I look at him as a little brother and a friend. I always teased him for being the runt of the pack. That's just the way our relationship worked; the smaller guy always gets picked on. I would never hurt him, but I did it to toughen him up. It came in handy when Toboe attacked that walrus to save Kiba. That took guts latching onto the walrus's eye and refusing to let go.

Kiba walked through the door with Blue at his side. Kiba walked over to Toboe and put his hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," Toboe lied. Kiba didn't buy it either. He put his hand on Toboe's forehead to check his fever.

"Well, your fever's going down," Kiba said. "We're going to have a meeting in the kitchen. Come on, guys."

Kiba led us into the kitchen. Now was the moment of truth.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Toboe

Blue offered me her hand and gave me an encouraging smile. The smile was so warm and comforting, so I took her hand and she led me to the kitchen for the meeting. Blue pulled out a chair for me and she sat on my right, Hige took my left. Kiba sat across the table. Tsume leaned against a wall behind me.

Kiba studied my face and began speaking, "Before I begin, I need you to promise me that you will stop me if you start feeling any pain or this becomes too much for you. Your well-being comes first before we can tell you the whole story."

I had no idea what he meant. "I promise." I said. What else could I say?

Kiba nodded then let out a small sigh. "Years ago, the world was ending, it was dying slowly. Wolves believed in a place that could give them salvation. For many years, wolves have tried and failed to find this special place, a place called Paradise."

I'm lost. "So what does that have to do with us?"

Kiba never took his eyes off my face. "There were four wolves who came close to reaching Paradise: Fang, Whiskers, Claw, and Howling. Fang was the first wolf of the four to believe in Paradise. He persuaded the others to go on a journey to search for it. Fang believed that it was his destiny to go to Paradise."

"How do you reach Paradise?" I asked. I am officially curious to know where this story is going.

"It's not a simple journey," Kiba answered. "To get to Paradise, the wolves needed help from an entity known as the Flower Maiden."

"The Flower Maiden," I repeated, thoughtfully.

"Yes. She is a girl created from Lunar Flowers. She was the beacon to Paradise," Kiba explained. "It would be impossible to reach Paradise without her. Anyway, the four wolves eventually found her and she helped guide them to Paradise."

"Did they make it?" I asked.

Kiba closed his eyes. He was obviously troubled about something. The energy in the room suddenly became very tense.

"No," Kiba admitted. "They were all murdered by a noble who managed to turn himself into a wolf to reach Paradise."

"I still don't get it. What does this have to do with us?" I stopped. I was beginning to put two and two together. Did my dreams have something to do with this? The girl I heard, could she be… No. No, that would mean… "The Flower Maiden… what was her name?" I was afraid to know the answer.

Kiba hesitated for a moment. He was worried about answering the question for my sake. I had to know. Kiba looked at the others and I saw Hige nod his head slightly to Kiba.

Kiba turned back to me and said, "Her name… was Cheza."

I gasped. Oh, no! I had a vision about Cheza. This couldn't be the same girl. "That was the name of the girl I saw in my last dream today."

"That wasn't a dream," Kiba said. He didn't take his eyes off me. "What you saw were memories of your past life. You are a reincarnation of one of the wolves from this story."

"H-how is reincarnation even possible?" I was stunned.

"Howling was the youngest of the four. He loved humans and he was extremely loyal to his friends. He always tried to keep the peace within the pack," Hige spoke up.

I had to admit, that certainly sounded like me. I hated quarrels and I preferred peace. I wanted to stay here because for the first time in my life, I finally felt like I had a home. There's nothing I wouldn't do for my friends. That means-

"I'm Howling?" I asked. I was finally starting to get it.

Kiba nodded and had a proud smile on his face. "Correct."

"If I'm the reincarnation of Howling, who were you, Kiba?" I asked.

"Fang," he answered. His eyes held the utmost sincerity. "Hige is the reincarnation of Whiskers and Tsume is the reincarnation of Claw."

"You mentioned something about a noble earlier. Who was he? Why did he hate us so much?" I asked.

Tsume let out a low growl. Hige pinched the bridge of his nose. Blue had a mixture of sadness and anger in her eyes.

"His name was Darcia III. His family was cursed and the love of his life fell victim to Paradise sickness. She didn't survive. After her death, Darcia became inconsolable and insane with grief. His obsession was to go to Paradise and finally put an end to his pain, even if it meant he would never see his beloved Hamona again," Kiba didn't look sympathetic at all for Darcia. His face hardened just by saying his name.

"Oh, God," I mused. "He blamed us for her death?" the question was rhetorical. "I want to feel bad for him, but I can't since he took his anger out on us."

"Trust me, I feel nothing for that bastard!" Tsume growled. "I just wish we killed him before he got the chance to kill any of us." Tsume had an intense look in his eyes when he said that. He looked at me when he said the last sentence. I really don't want to know what he meant by that.

"Tsume!" Kiba scolded. He gave Tsume a glare, recognizing some sort of implication his words.

"So, the reason you offered to let me live here wasn't to get away from the Wolf Center?" I asked Kiba.

"Well, yes it was. The real reason is that we want to let you make a choice: Do you want to go to Paradise with us or go back to the Wolf Center?" Kiba stated. "We will support whatever choice you make."

How can I make a choice right now? Everything I've been told is too much to process for today. I still had more questions.

"How long will it take to get my memories back?" I asked.

"It depends," Kiba told me. "The voice you told Hige about, that was Cheza. She is in control of the memories that come back to you. She probably showed you happy memories to make the experience less stressful for you."

"How do we find Cheza?" I inquired. "We can't find Paradise without her. Do you think she will give me back all of my memories if I asked her to?"

"The first time, Cheza found us," Kiba's voice sounded tired. "As for your memories… when we find her, you'll have to ask her yourself. You don't have to decide today."

"Are we going to look for Cheza or are we going to let her come to us?" Hige asked.

Kiba sighed. "I haven't heard Cheza's voice in a long time. If we are to leave, we will have to find the scent of lunar flowers." Kiba turned to me. "I'll give you a few days to decide. After that, we're leaving and we are going to find Cheza's scent. She's here in the city somewhere. We just need to follow her scent and it will lead us to her."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Tsume

The truth is finally out. The kid finally knows who he is. He's going to have to figure out what he wants to do now. He can't go home, that's for sure. I kept an eye on him constantly to make sure he was okay. He took the revelation well, all things considered. I took that as a good sign that we are one step closer to getting Toboe back. I missed him and a part of me still does, because he's not as happy and optimistic as I remember him.

Over the last six months, I started seeing similar traits from the old Toboe. The biggest difference I see is the new Toboe doesn't follow me around like the old Toboe did. The new Toboe mostly spends time with Hige and usually lets me talk to him first. I couldn't help but feel a little disappointed by the latter. When I first met him, the habit was annoying. Now that things have changed, I find myself wishing for it. The kid never stopped believing in me. He never gave up or let go. He found the will to fight again, even when he chose to stay with those Indians. I guess finding Kiba helped him make the right choice.

Now he has to choose what he's going to do now: be with us or leave. The right choice would be the former. His place is with the pack, with us. Home isn't just a place. In this case, home is when the five of us are together.

The same goes for Cheza too. I don't know if she will be able to enter Paradise with us, but after spending time with her, I hope so. Cheza was so beautiful, warm, innocent, friendly, quiet, and had this aura of softness around her. Whenever she moved, she would skip like a sprightly little fairy. She had the voice of an angel. Her song was sad, but peaceful like a lullaby. I had to admit that I miss her too.

I was on my way home after work. I spotted Toboe sitting on the steps of the front porch. He was hugging his knees to his chest. He looked so young and fragile, even more so than the old Toboe. He looked like he could use some company. He had that look like he needed someone to talk to. Where's Hige?

Toboe regarded me with a smile. "Hey," he said. Now he's starting to act like the Toboe I know.

"Hey," I said back. I sat down next to him. "You look like you have a lot on your mind. Wanna talk about it?"

Toboe hesitated. "How do we know we can make it to Paradise this time? Living in Paradise sounds great, but we died trying the first time. How do we know we aren't walking to our deaths this time?"

"You can't run away just because you're scared. Your previous incarnation overcame doubt and stayed strong," I mentioned.

"Darcia killed us once and I don't want to lose you guys over this," Toboe told me.

So that's what this was about. It's ironic that he was the first one to die and now he's worried about losing us. The thought pulled at my heart strings. Seeing everyone die in my memories were the most painful ones. Kiba outlived me. I had to put Hige down, because the pain was too much for him. When Darcia fatally wounded me, I didn't feel like fighting anymore. I didn't really have the will to live. I made it my purpose to take Toboe to Paradise. I thought that my sin would prevent me from entering Paradise. I wanted to make sure Toboe made it to Paradise as atonement for my sin. Maybe I would have been forgiven or maybe not. Toboe deserved to go to Paradise more than any of us.

"You can't think like that. If you do, you won't have the courage to make it through the journey. You need to have faith," I said. "You can go back to the Wolf Center if you want. No one's going to stop you. You'll have a better future if you come with us. No one said it will be easy. You have to be willing to take the risk."

"When you started getting your memories back-" Toboe started to ask. "I mean, is it normal to experience so much pain when the memories come back?"

"Yes," I answered.

"Why does it have to be?" Toboe asked.

"Your spirit is recalling something this body never experienced. The mind is powerful, but there is only so much it can handle at once. Your mind is trying to process two lifetimes, which is overwhelming. Cheza wouldn't give you back your memories if you couldn't handle it," I told him. "It's a good thing that you chose to be reborn when you did. Otherwise, your connection to your past life would have been diminished. If a spirit waits too long, he or she might not be able to have the chance to get their memories back."

Toboe was quiet. I'm surprised he's handling this so well.

My pack of origin was aware of reincarnation and helped me get through it. The first few memories were pleasant. The first memory I had was Kiba's spirit getting called back by the elder. He told us he met a girl in the illusion and then he told us that he thought we were dead. Hige was surprised and slightly angry, but we all laughed. All the tension was gone and things went back to normal. That was one of the few times in my past life that I was actually happy. In this life, I'm not as angry or bitter as I once was. I had those feelings, because I was banished from the pack after letting my friends die. That's how I got the scar back then. I definitely have my moments of getting moody, but I'm no where near as impatient now as my previous incarnation.

"Okay," Toboe said. "I'll go with you guys. I want to go to Paradise."

I smiled to myself. I wanted him to say that. I'm finally beginning to see the young boy he used to be. Toboe loved adventure. I can't help feeling like he's going because he wants to be with us, but he doesn't know what to think about Paradise.

"You should tell Kiba. He's looking for Cheza right now," I said. "He needs to know as soon as possible."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Kiba

I followed Cheza's scent to the laboratory where she was being held. I used my human disguise to sneak in. I crawled through the air ducts to avoid being noticed. It wasn't that hard. I followed the scent to the room it was coming from. She was definitely there. Cheza.

I ran to the control panel and pressed what I assumed was the release button. It worked. Cheza started coughing after the water was below her. She looked up and saw me. A smile graced her lips. I smiled back and helped her out of the tank. I wrapped her in tight embrace. Oh, God I missed her!

"Kiba," she said. "This one missed you." She had that sweet voice in this life.

"I missed you, too," I told her. I closed my eyes, enjoying the moment. Cheza and I have a bond that transcends time.

Alarms started blaring. It was time to go. "Come with me." I said.

We ran as fast as we could to the air ducts. I let her go first. I led her through to the closest exit in the building; where I came in. We ran as quickly as we could to the apartment.

When we finally got there, I led Cheza inside. Tsume and Toboe were watching TV. Hige and Blue were in the kitchen talking. Everyone turned and saw Cheza. Instantly the atmosphere became lighter, happier. Blue ran up to Cheza and hugged her.

"It's good to have you back, Cheza," Blue said.

"This one is happy to see all of you," Cheza said. She turned to Tsume. "Tsume." Tsume regarded her, but didn't do anything else. To Hige. "Hige."

"Good to see you," Hige said.

She turned to Toboe. "You don't remember this one."

Toboe looked guilty. "I just have one brief memory of you."

"That's all right," Cheza said. "I gave you three memories to help you."

"Can you give me all my memories back?" Toboe asked.

"Toboe…" I started to say. I didn't want him to be burdened with his past memories.

"It's okay. I want to. I decided I want to go with you guys to Paradise," Toboe announced.

I hadn't been expecting that. I'm happy that he made this decision. I'm not going to let Cheza give him back his memories if it will hurt him. His safety comes first.

"Cheza, is it safe?" I asked.

"Only if the memories come back one at a time. It's best his memories come back in timeline order; it'll be more straightforward. I can give him memories in his subconscious," Cheza said.

"I'm okay with that," Toboe said.

"Toboe, the bad memories will feel like nightmares," I warned. He needed to understand what he was asking for. "For Blue, Hige, Tsume, and I, it took years for our memories to completely come back. You just started getting them back and you got sick and scared."

"I got scared, because I didn't understand what was happening to me. Now I know what's going on. I'm tougher than I look. I can take it," Toboe argued.

I sighed. There was no convincing this kid. His mind was made up. I had to admit that he is brave. "I really hope I don't regret letting you do this." I turned to Cheza. "Do what you need to, Cheza."

Cheza walked up to Toboe and put both hands on his shoulders-

"Wait," Tsume interrupted. He stood up and looked Toboe right in the eyes. "You don't have to prove anything to us, Toboe. I want you to understand that. Do this for yourself."

"I am," Toboe murmured. Toboe turned back to Cheza. "Just do it."

Cheza proceeded and kissed his forehead. Toboe groaned as he fell to his knees, clutching his hair. Everyone rushed to his side. Why did I let him do this?


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Toboe

As Cheza kissed my forehead, I felt like it was on fire. I grasped my hair tightly to try to fight off the pain. It didn't help. I lost consciousness in seconds.

 _My first conscious memory of my previous life's cubhood revealed an old woman taking me in and sheltering me. She gave me three rings that I wore on my front right leg. She loved me and cared for me. She treated me like a son. I saw images of us in a meadow of flowers. I slept in the flowers while she concentrated on her knitting. I was happy. I enjoyed life…_

I woke up to see everyone standing over me with concerned looks on their faces. I saw everyone sigh in relief. Kiba's face was instantly laced with guilt. Hige's face instantly became angry.

"Don't ever do that again!" Hige yelled. "It wasn't funny!"

"I wasn't faking it," I protested. "I saw an old woman. She took me in and we lived together for some time. I called her 'Granny'."

Tsume looked uncomfortable at that revelation. He knew something that I didn't. I hope it had nothing to do with Granny, whatever it was that caused Tsume to react like that. I didn't want to know. I didn't want to shatter the joy swelling within me from the memory. Kiba offered his hand and he helped me up.

"Are you okay?" he asked. He studied my eyes to see if I would try to lie.

"More than okay. I'm right as rain," I said, honestly.

Cheza smiled. Kiba decided to break the moment.

"We need to leave. Now," He declared.

We left the apartment and as soon as we were out of the city, we went back to our wolf forms and just kept running.

It was snowing pretty heavily now. We found a cave many miles away from the city. We decided to stay in the cave until the storm passes. Kiba was standing in front of the cave's entrance watching for danger. I felt really tired. I sat by Cheza. I couldn't put my finger on it, but there was something about her that felt… safe? She has such an easy going and gentle nature. A nature similar to my own. I love peace and tranquility. There's nothing that upsets me more than violence and hate.

If I had to, I would use violence to protect my friends as a last resort. If I didn't have a choice, there's nothing I wouldn't do for them. I feel very protective of Blue and Cheza particularly. It's not that I think Blue can't take care of herself. Of course, she can. I feel that way, because they both mean a lot to me. Cheza isn't a fighter. There's no way she can defend herself from an attack. She's so petite and innocent; not the kind of person who should ever be involved in fights.

I'm one to talk. I am small physically, but I wouldn't let that stop me from doing what I feel is right. To Kiba, Hige, and Tsume, I probably come across as the underdog. I accept that. I am who I am. I'll stay loyal to them no matter what. They are my pack, my family. I finally found where I belong. I will see this adventure to the end and we will all be in Paradise together for the rest of our lives. We will all find peace together. I drifted…

 _My dream started happy. I was sleeping by the fire. I saw Granny in the kitchen fixing dinner._

" _Toboe, are you ready to eat?" She asked me._

 _I got up instantly and impatiently stood in front of her. I jumped up and knocked the tray out of her hands. She fell and landed on her back. She tried to tell me to get off and tell me she couldn't breathe…_

 _The dream shifted._

 _I relived my first two dreams of Leara. I saw the first time I met Tsume. He didn't like me much at first, but he still saved my life. That had to count for something. I saw the first time I met Kiba and Hige. They helped me get away when Leara screamed for her father to come and help her. I asked Kiba and Hige to go back to the city to find Tsume and offer him a chance to go with us to Paradise. Amazingly, he chose to come with us. I remembered the excitement I felt when he made that choice. He didn't completely trust me yet. Much less Kiba and Hige. I still followed him and pleaded with him to stay with us. No matter how many times he tried to (literally) push me away, I never stopped believing in him. He could have good friends in his life if he gave us a chance. Even when he told me why he doesn't want us to be his friends, I told him that I didn't care and I liked him anyway…_

I woke up and felt rested. I had a few more memories come back. I looked around and everyone else was sleeping. I was glad. At least I won't get sick after seeing my memories anymore. I felt someone grab me! Whoever it was covered my mouth to stop me from warning the others. I thrashed and fought to free myself from the assailant. A needle was injected into my skin none too gently. I saw black.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Toboe

"Toboe. Toboe!" someone was trying to wake me. Tsume? Tsume! He's okay!

"Runt, get up!" Hige yelled.

I sat up and put my hand on my forehead. I felt dizzy and confused. Where are we? We're in a jail cell. How did we get here?

"What is this place?" I asked.

"Jaguara's keep," Tsume answered.

"Who's Jaguara? What does she want with us? Where's Kiba?" I was so confused and scared.

"Oh, that's right. You don't remember yet," Hige realized. He sighed. "Jaguara has been hunting our kind for many years. She does it to open Noble's Paradise. She needs the Flower Maiden and her chosen wolf."

"Kiba," I murmured in horror. "Cheza and Kiba are in danger?" Please don't be true!

Hige looked down and nodded. I ran for the bars and used my teeth to create a hole big enough to break free. The bars were too big. Great. I slammed my body against the bars. I didn't care if my shoulder would feel the effects of the pain. Adrenaline surged through me and I gave everything I had into breaking the bars. Tsume, Hige, and Blue were in their own cells. I tried as hard as I could and put all my strength and energy into it. When I couldn't take it anymore, I wrapped my fingers around two of the bars. I took a moment to catch my breath.

I looked over in the cell next to mine. There was someone in the cell. I am not sure, but I could swear I've seen this wolf before. It's a she-wolf.

"Hello," I greeted. She turned and I gasped. No. "Mother?"

She narrowed her eyes. "T...Toboe?" she asked.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and watched the scene unfold.

"How...? Mom, are you okay? Where's the pack?" I asked, still stunned.

"They're alive and safe. I was the only one to get captured," she told me.

Thank goodness, my old pack is safe. I imagined reuniting with my mother many times, but never like this.

"We're getting out of here. All of us. I promise," I said. I wondered if she would go with us to Paradise or go back to the pack.

"How did you survive?" she asked.

"I was taken by humans and I lived in captivity ever since," I told her. "I was given a home with my friends." I gestured to my friends "This is Tsume, Hige, and Blue."

"Thank you," she gave my friends a grateful look.

"Don't mention it," said Hige.

"I hate to ruin the moment, but now is not the time for this," Blue interrupted.

 _Right._ "Anyone have any ideas?" I asked.

I looked around and saw the button to open the cells to my mom's right. Can my mom turn into a human?

"Mom, the button is to your right. Do you think you can reach through the bars?" I asked.

My mom got on her hind legs and reached through the bars. It wasn't enough.

"Mom, this may sound weird, but do you know how to turn into a human?" I waited for her shocked expression.

She smiled. Without saying a word, she changed her appearance into that of a human. She reached through the bars and pressed the button. All the jail cells opened. I immediately rushed out and ran to my mother. She turned back into her wolf form and started to rub her head against mine and licked me.

"Come on!" Tsume snapped.

I reluctantly pulled away and followed the group to a path that would hopefully lead us to Kiba and Cheza. By the time we reached the third room, we managed to find Cheza in a tank and Kiba was tied to the floor off to the side.

"Kiba!" I called.

He stirred and looked at us. He was bleeding along the face and legs. He had a nasty gash on the left cheek. I ran over to him and helped free him from his restraints. When his hands were finally free, he untied his legs. I saw Tsume release Cheza from the tank.

"Wait a minute. This was too easy-" Hige said. Bad choice of words.

A woman with long blond hair came into the room with guards behind her. _Oh, no!_


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Kiba

I'm not sure what happened to me. My mind was fuzzy and I felt confused. Jaguara did something to me. I don't know what it was, but I could sense something is definitely wrong. I looked around and I saw Toboe freeing me from the ropes. Tsume was helping Cheza. I smiled at Toboe as a 'thank you'. He returned the smile.

"Wait a minute. This was too easy-" Hige said.

The doors burst open. Oh, great. Jaguara. I turned back into my wolf form and attacked the malicious blond woman. I tried to lunge at her neck, but she had her sword ready and she blocked my attack. I regained my balance and grabbed her arm. I bit her hard enough to draw blood. I vaguely noticed Jaguara's guards target the others. My undivided attention was focused on the woman who had murdered my kind for two human lifetimes. I will not give her an advantage over me. I used every bit of anger I felt to fuel my strength. I didn't care how brutal I was. This woman is a threat, a threat who I will kill or she will kill me and my pack. I can't let that happen.

Jaguara was a good fighter. She pivoted with precision to each attack. I had to jump in order to avoid hers. She was beginning to tire. I could see it in her eyes.

"Kiba," she said. "You will do as I say."

I froze. No. Why would she say that? I felt my body lose control of its actions. I could think normally, but my body was waiting for Jaguara to give me an order. What's wrong with me?

"Finish the black wolf!" she ordered me.

No! I will not murder Blue! My body automatically turned in Blue's direction. The others stopped fighting and stared at me in horror.

I slowly walked towards her. I lunged at her and she reluctantly fought back. I aimed for the neck, but she managed to lower her head in time. I took advantage of that opportunity and pinned her down. She desperately tried to get her hind legs underneath my stomach to throw me off of her. That didn't do her any good. She squirmed and used one of her paws to keep me a good distance away from her throat. She freed herself and bit my ear. She bared her teeth at me and her fur was standing on the haunches.

"Kiba, what are you doing?!" she demanded.

"I can't control my body!" I told Blue. I turned to Jaguara. "What the hell did you do to me?!"

"I drugged you to make you more susceptible to hypnosis. You already know the answer to why I hypnotized you," she said.

"You bitch!" Tsume growled. "Kiba, you need to fight it!"

"I wanted you to be aware of your actions when you kill your own kind," Jaguara seethed. "I can have you wolves do my dirty work for me."

Tsume ran at me to try to get me away from Blue. "Blue, run!"

As Blue was about to make her escape, Jaguara's soldiers blocked her path. She was on them in a heartbeat. She ripped every soldier's neck to clear an escape route for us.

Before anyone could understand what happened, a strange wolf attacked me and my attention was now focused on her. Oh, God, this wolf has black fur just like Blue. Jaguara told me to kill 'the black wolf', which refers to this one too. Please. No.

I hate Jaguara with a fire burning in my heart. If she were dead, I wouldn't be forced to do this. I had to try to kill Jaguara more than ever now. I couldn't force my body to release itself from the hypnosis. I lunged at the she-wolf's throat and held onto her jugular. I tasted blood on my tongue.

"NO!" came a cry of dismay.

Toboe jumped on my back to try to free the she-wolf. I ignored him and focused on the she-wolf's eyes. I watched them close and her breathing labored to the point where her body went limp. She didn't move as a pool of blood formed around her lifeless body.

"Mom! No!" Toboe cried.

Mom? Oh, my God. Please tell me I misheard? Toboe desperately felt for a pulse, but there wouldn't be one to find. Toboe's mother was… dead.

Toboe had a vengeful look in his eyes. He turned to Jaguara and instantly bit down hard on her shoulder. Jaguara was surprised and fell over with Toboe's weight pushing her down. Toboe's demeanor was feral and unforgiving. He has succumbed to hatred and brutality. He bit down on Jaguara's neck and thrashed from side to side to the point where I could hear her neck break.

I was shocked, to say the least. I didn't expect that kind of reaction. I wouldn't have blamed him if he took his anger out on me.

"Toboe, stop! THAT'S ENOUGH!" Tsume demanded. In a softer voice, he said. "She's dead."

Toboe stopped and stared unseeingly at Jaguara's lifeless body. He was broken. The innocent pup has been lost and replaced with a vicious killer. Toboe walked back over to his mother. He let out a long and mournful howl. We all gathered around Toboe's mother and howled along with Toboe.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Toboe

I couldn't believe it. I just got my mother back and now she was gone. Something inside me snapped and I got my revenge on Jaguara. The only consolation I could think of was that my kind will never be harmed by her again. I could live with myself knowing that I did something to prevent further tragedy. That doesn't change the fact that I murdered someone. A part of me will never forgive myself for killing someone in cold blood for the sake of avenging my mother's death. Killing goes against everything I believe in.

"Let's go," Hige murmured.

We all ran as fast as we could from Jaguara's keep. There was a blizzard that was blinding our path ahead. Hige never left my side. Everyone watched me worriedly, not that I blame them. I'm worried about me too. How will I get passed this? I killed a human being. My mother's gone forever. I hope my birth pack will be okay. They will eventually presume Mother dead. No one tried to talk to me. I was grateful for that. I don't feel like talking right now and I'd probably break down if I tried to talk about what happened. I tried to fight the depression surfacing within my heart. I can't let it show, not in front of the others.

We found a cave after walking five miles. I laid down and didn't say anything. Everyone decided to stay as close to me as possible. Tsume was in between the wall and me as he placed his head on my neck. I wasn't used to such physical affection from Tsume, but I liked the comforting gesture. Hige and Blue placed their heads on my back and snuggled tightly against me. I appreciated the comfort I was receiving from everyone.

Kiba was standing in front of the cave entrance, watching for threats. He didn't make a move to come near me. I don't blame him for my mother's death, but I had to deal with the fact that he physically killed her. It wasn't logical to be angry at Kiba, but I can't get the images out of my head. I watched him do it and I couldn't stop him. How can I trust him like I did before? I pushed the thought aside. Kiba is my friend. He tried to fight the hypnosis.

I can't think about this anymore. I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep…

Tsume

I could feel the energy in the pack shift to unpleasant silence. Kiba felt guilty for killing his own kind, even more so that it was Toboe's mom. I hated Jaguara for hypnotizing Kiba. She was a cold-hearted bitch who deserved to die a thousand times over for every wolf she'd killed.

Now Toboe was suffering because of her. I felt the utmost sympathy for the pup. He needed his mom. She was a good parent who loved Toboe very much. Toboe was lucky to have her. I wish it didn't have to come to this. Her loss scarred Toboe and I am seriously concerned for his health. He seems a little too okay after what happened. Granted, he hasn't said a word since his mother's death. It's only been a day since then.

Kiba hasn't talked much. He mostly spends time away from the cave. He probably thinks that Toboe doesn't want to be around him.

I sighed inwardly. When I got my memories back, it was horrible remembering a lifetime's worth of sadness and pain. Life doesn't cut anyone slack. You have to live with the circumstances no matter how bad they are. You just had to keep moving and hope life will get better. I guess that's why Paradise exists. Maybe there is a possibility for a future that isn't terrible. I don't know. My past life experienced a lot of anger and felt so aggrieved by his circumstances that he was willing to leave his new pack, even though it brought purpose in his life. I guess the lesson I needed to learn from my past life is that having a pack somehow gives your life purpose. I still feel that way. Having a pack that cares feels meaningful.

I got up from where I was lying down. Toboe was still sleeping, so were Hige and Blue. It would be a good idea to hunt. Everyone will be hungry and I need the exercise. If I'm lucky, I will catch a deer or something.


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Note: Hi, everyone! This chapter is a little longer than the previous ones. Enjoy!**

Chapter 15

Kiba

I stood on a ledge of a small hill, looking across miles of the snow. I stared out in the distance, not moving a muscle. Almost like a meditation, I tried to clear my thoughts by just looking in front of me. I forced myself to focus on the cold feeling underneath my paws and trying to count the snowflakes falling to the ground. Focusing on where I am now and what I feel physically helped to ward off my emotions, the guilt and shame I felt was indescribable. I tried to block it out, hoping that somehow it might go away.

But it didn't. As hard as I try to forget the suffering, it still leaves a painful reminder in your heart. My heart tightens and slowly reaches the point where it almost feels like physical pain.

How could I have done something so awful? How can I forgive myself for what I've done? How can I justify myself by saying 'I didn't have a choice'? That would be cold comfort to Toboe and his original pack. I'm a wolf. I should have been strong enough to protect myself from threats. It would be seen as a sign of weakness to be unable to protect your pack from any threat, including yourself...

I smelled something, a familiar scent. Lunar flowers.

Someone was walking towards me. A human girl? No. No. She had to scent of lunar flowers.

I walked down the hill and waited for her to approach me. It was hard to see her through the falling snow. She came closer and I could see her face. She was petite with a heart-shaped face and chin length hair. Cheza.

"Are you alright? This one has been worried about you," Cheza told me.

"Not really," I admitted.

She got on her knees and opened her arms wide to embrace me. I welcomed the gesture. She felt so warm and understanding.

"It wasn't your fault, Kiba," she broke the silence.

"Why do I feel so bad?" I asked, not to challenge her but to seek some kind of relief.

"You experienced something terrible. You rush to blame yourself and take responsibility. What happened wasn't of your own volition. Why blame yourself, Kiba? You have done nothing wrong," Cheza told me.

"Because I was too weak to resist the hypnosis," I said. "I couldn't protect my kind."

"There was nothing you could have done. Your pack will forgive you. I do," she said.

I was speechless. She forgives me? Oh, God. I could feel a huge weight lift from my shoulders. I let her hold me a moment longer. I needed the reassurance. I pulled away and gently licked her face. She giggled. Hearing her laugh was like music to my ears.

"Let's go back," I suggested.

* * *

Toboe

I woke up reluctantly. I slowly opened my eyes and saw the cave entrance. There were deep breaths behind me. Hige was still fast asleep. I got up and stretched. I noticed that Tsume was gone, so were Kiba and Cheza. I stifled a yawn.

The cave was old. Must have been a bear cave once, but now it's obviously abandoned. I walked over to the entrance and watched for enemies. Usually, Kiba was the one guarding the entrance but I guess he needed some time alone. It was still daylight, so he must not have been gone for long. I hope he's okay.

As if on cue, Kiba and Cheza slowly walked towards the cave entrance. I studied Kiba's face. He looked… depressed. I need to tell him that there are no hard feelings. He didn't mean to hurt my mother. He regarded me with a remorseful expression. I smiled at him reassuringly in my human form.

I decided to shift to my wolf form, because he was using his wolf form too. I walked towards Kiba slowly and carefully nuzzled my head against his head and neck. His whole body went rigid. He quickly regained his composure and briefly nuzzled me back.

"I'm sorry," he said, sincerely.

"I know you are. I forgive you. I blame Jaguara for my mother's death," I told him, equally sincere.

Kiba looked surprised. "Really?"

"Really," I said.

"You are so much like your past life. You could never hold a grudge, even if your life depended on it. You always do everything you can to keep the pack together. Don't ever lose that," he said.

I didn't respond. I was just glad that Kiba looked happier now. Things can go back to normal.

"What time is it?" said a tired voice. Hige. "It's still daylight? I thought I was going to sleep for a week."

"I'm surprised that hasn't happened, since you are the deepest sleeper I've ever seen," Blue teased.

"Haha. Very funny," Hige grumbled. Hige looked around. "Where's Tsume?"

"I woke up and he was gone," I said.

Nobody questioned it further. Tsume has a thing for wanting time alone. I sat down next to Blue. I couldn't put my paw on it, but she seemed quiet and worried. Why would she be? We're all fine. I decided not to ask; it's none of my business. She will tell us when she's ready.

Tsume walked in the cave, dragging a deer that looked to be a teenager. Tsume held it by the back leg and let it drag through the snow next to him. Tsume put it down in the middle of the cave.

"Anyone hungry?" Tsume asked.

"You bet," Hige said.

"Eat up, Porky," Tsume said, sardonically.

Tsume ate first and everyone else followed suit. There wasn't a whole lot of meat to share between all of us, but it was better than nothing. I ate my fill slowly to the point where I was satisfied.

I noticed Blue eating more greedily than usual. It was like she was eating all the meat she could before it was gone. That's not like Blue. She was always willing to share the kill. She wasn't acting like herself. Something is definitely going on.

When everyone was done eating, we sat in the cave in companionable silence. The blizzard outside was raging on. There would be no way for us to travel in this weather.

Blue suddenly broke the silence. "I have something I need to tell everyone."

Everyone turned to Blue. Kiba had that same composed and almost indifferent look he always had. Tsume looked slightly annoyed that Blue wasn't getting right to the point. Hige looked curious with slight concern in his eyes. I must have a face that's easy to read, because I felt serious anxiety for Blue.

"Everything is okay, Toboe," Blue reassured, noticing the worry in my expression. "I'm… I'm pregnant."

Everyone looked taken aback. My eyes went down to Blue's belly. Of course, it didn't show yet. She must not have known for that long.

"Congratulations!" I said to Blue and Hige.

Hige spluttered. "How long have you known?"

Blue answered. "Not long. I wanted to wait until we were all safe before I told everyone."

Kiba smiled. "We're safe now. Nothing will happen to us. Congratulations, Blue."

"What he said," Tsume gestured to Kiba. He had that air of indifference, but I could tell that Tsume cares. He just doesn't like getting into sappy moments.

"We'll be much safer when we reach Paradise. Hopefully, we will get there before Blue has our pups," Hige said. "I, for one, will feel much better seeing my pups grow up in Paradise and have the best possible future."

Hige was taking this really well. If I didn't know better, I'd say he's gone right into parent-mode. He matured slightly in a single moment.


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's Note: I'm really excited to finally post this chapter! Enjoy!**

Chapter 16

Hige

Wow, I'm going to be a dad. I couldn't stop thinking about it. I helped make little pups. I never thought I'd ever experience these feelings: excitement, joy, nerves, and profound love for my pups and Blue. Granted, I hoped I'd be a little older when the time to be a parent came. That doesn't matter now. What matters now is getting my pack to Paradise as soon as possible so that we can be safe. I sincerely hoped that we would make it there in time for Blue to have our pups in Paradise. I couldn't stand the thought of my newborn pups in danger. We would have to put our journey on hold for a while until they are old enough to travel.

I don't think we have that much time until our enemies catch up to us. Jaguara was gone, but Darcia was probably out there somewhere. He did terrible things to us in his past life. I hoped that isn't the case now, because he might leave us alone if he has Hamona with him. Knowing him, he would hold a grudge for more than one lifetime.

As angry as I am at him for killing us in our past lives, I couldn't help but feel compassion for him. This was something Tsume and Kiba wouldn't understand, but I knew what it was like to feel a bond with the woman you love. It hurt too much to think about losing Blue. I can't imagine how it would feel. But Darcia knew what that felt like.

Blue's previous owner, Quent Yaiden lost his wife and son. Both of them lost their minds because of it and blamed wolves. I wondered if Quent was reincarnated too. If he is, I hope he's living a better life now. It was really inconvenient to have him chasing us all the time. Blue never talks about him, so it's a mystery how she would feel about seeing him again. It was unfair that he didn't accept her for being half wolf. She loved him unconditionally, even when he pushed her away and disowned her. It gave me mixed feelings: sadness because their story was just heart-breaking and angry because Blue didn't deserve to suffer for something she didn't have control over. She didn't kill her own family. Heck, wolves didn't kill them. Jaguara had them murdered!

For a moment, a surge of hatred for Jaguara rose up in my chest. That woman should never have been allowed back on Earth. She abused me in my past life and forced me to have an entire pack killed and she caused Toboe unimaginable suffering by forcing Kiba to kill his mom. She always loved having wolves do her dirty work for her. That was her way of displaying power. What have wolves ever done to her? Oh, that's right. She thought we were an obstacle that stood between her and Noble's Paradise. As Kiba said, there's no such thing. Paradise is meant only for wolves.

I broke out of my reverie when everyone stopped to look over a lake covered in ice. There were ice floes that have broken off. A twinge of fear came unwillingly over me. I was reluctant to let the mother of my unborn pups walk through dangerous waters.

"Are you sure this is the only way?" I asked Kiba.

"Yeah," muttered Kiba. He probably noticed the apprehension on my face, but didn't call me out on it. For that, I was grateful. Kiba was probably concerned for everyone's safety, especially Cheza and Blue. It felt like deja vu, walking through an ocean filled with ice. Oh, no, please don't let myself be jinxed by that thought! I need to learn to tell my mind to shut up when I think like this.

"Let's go," Tsume said, his tone emotionless.

We all jumped down to the ice and started running. I looked over and saw that not _all_ of us had jumped.

"Come on, Toboe!" I called, impatiently.

Toboe stepped back nervously. Fear was clear on his face. He's never jumped at this height before. This was something new for him.

"Uh…" Toboe spluttered.

Tsume groaned. "Just jump!"

Toboe reluctantly took a small step back and ran to the cliff and (finally!) jumped down to the river. He landed and lost his balance for a moment.

"What are we waiting for? Let's go," Toboe pressed on.

We all followed after him. We tried to stay close together, since Blue was pregnant and Cheza mostly just skipped when she moved. Toboe was the youngest and naturally had shorter legs, which made him a slow runner. We kept running for about twenty minutes, then came across a break in the ice that was not hard to jump across to the other side. Toboe was the last to cross. Big surprise.

He made the jump, but before he could make it to the other side with us, a giant black fish (an orca!) grabbed his leg. He yelled in either surprise or pain, I couldn't tell. I didn't need to look to tell that everyone had looks of horror on their faces. Cheza cried out in alarm. Before anyone could react, the orca dragged Toboe down into the water along with it.

"NO!" Kiba shouted. He ran towards where Toboe had disappeared.

"Damn it!" Tsume shouted.

We all stood by the water where Toboe was taken. I counted in my mind. I prayed that Toboe would surface. Please, please don't drown. The words were a silent mantra I kept repeating to myself.

"Oh, God," Blue sounded close to tears. "No. Please, please be okay." she whispered.

We all waited anxiously for the pup to resurface. Neither of us said a word. The suspense was painfully long.

* * *

Toboe

Everything happened so fast. I barely had time to register what was going on. All I saw was a flash of black coming towards me and then I was dragged under the dark water. I could feel myself unwillingly swallowing salt water. The sensation burned my lungs. I was losing oxygen. I didn't fight. What was the point? My mother was gone. I would never see my brothers and sisters again. Why should I die a slow and painful death by drowning? Death should be peaceful. I closed my eyes, waiting for my life to end.

* * *

Kiba

We waited in painful silence for a sign. It took everything I had not to jump in after Toboe. I knew I couldn't, because the water was too dark to see anything. I was seething with frustration. That bastard is trying to kill our friend. He just came out of nowhere. He dragged Toboe under too fast for anyone to help him.

Minutes went by like hours.

The water started moving. The orca came up, still hanging onto Toboe. He let go long enough for Tsume and I to grab his human arms and pull him to safety before the orca could take him again. I growled warningly at the orca to go away. The orca didn't seem threatening, not that I cared. The orca may have been playing, but Toboe is hurt as a result. The orca got the message and disappeared.

"Toboe, wake up," Tsume shook Toboe's shoulder gently.

I checked his neck, desperately searching for a pulse. Hige sat next to me and checked Toboe's wrist for a pulse. He closed his eyes in defeat. Tsume was on Toboe's other side, shaking his shoulder. Blue was hugging Cheza tightly.

"Come on! Damn it!" I yelled. "I can't find a pulse!"

Tsume put his ear on the limp body to listen for a heartbeat. Nothing. I could tell by the look on Tsume's face.

"You are not dying on us!" Hige said. "You hear me, Runt? Don't you dare think about dying."

Blue came up and pushed Hige and me out of the way. Under normal circumstances, I would be annoyed but I right now I didn't care. I hope she knows what she's doing. Blue started doing compressions on Toboe's chest. Cheza came up and gave him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation between Blue's compressions.

"We're not letting you go. Stay with us, Toboe. Please," Blue begged.

I felt grief wash over me. He's so young. Why did this have to happen to Toboe? Why is Fate so cruel? I silently prayed that he would come back. _Don't leave us,_ I thought. Tsume was losing hope for Toboe's survival. His face was grief-stricken. A mixture of frustration, anger, loss, and despair could be seen in the look he had in his eyes.

* * *

Tsume

Not again. This is not happening… again. But it was. A nightmare was replaying itself all over again, except the circumstances were different. I could feel my heart strings being torn one by one. Toboe is my friend. The first real friend I ever had. The first one to accept me for who I am, no matter how I treat him. He never cared about what I did in my past. He just wanted me to accept him and be his friend. He's so young. Too young to die. He never even had the chance to live a full life.

Don't give up on him yet. Blue and Cheza can still save him. Right? Every minute that passed, I could feel myself losing hope. A part of me was slowly breaking inside. I've heard many humans talk about a God, but wolves don't believe in higher beings. As pointless as it seemed, I couldn't help thinking that if there really is a God, then he will let Toboe live. Toboe deserves better than this. He deserves a long, happy life in Paradise. He deserves to grow up and live life to the fullest. _I'm so sorry,_ I thought. _I failed you again. This time I hoped we would all go to Paradise together. You have earned the right to enter Paradise._

* * *

Toboe

All I could see was a brilliant white light. I looked into it and found myself drawn to it. I felt weightless. Peaceful. I couldn't feel my body. I walked forward. My hand automatically held itself out to the white light. Then I saw something in the distance. Or was it a person? I walked closer to the mysterious figure. Somehow my legs just started running. Then I saw her.

"Mom!" I ran towards her in my wolf form.

She ran towards me quickly to close the distance between us. When I finally reached her, she started licking me and I nuzzled her.

"Toboe," she said, sadly. "What are you doing here? It's not your rightful time yet."

"I missed you so much!" I cried.

"My little pup," she kissed me on the head. "Go back, honey." she said.

"No, I want to stay here with you," I said, shocked.

"I know you do, but it's not your time. Your friends need you if they are going to make the journey to Paradise. Your importance in this journey is immeasurable," she said. "They love you more than you know. They are begging with you to go back to them."

A wave of guilt washed over me. "They… want me to go back?"

"Yes, if you are quiet, you will hear their thoughts and words to you," she said, softly.

A moment of silence passed. Then I heard the familiar voices of my pack.

 _We're not letting you go. Stay with us, Toboe. Please._ Blue

 _Don't leave us._ Kiba

 _You are not dying on us! You hear me, Runt? Don't you dare think about dying._ Hige.

 _I'm so sorry_. _I failed you again. This time I hoped we would all go to Paradise together. You have earned the right to enter Paradise._ Tsume.

 _We love you, Toboe. Come back. Come back. Come back to us._ Cheza.

"You must go," my mother said. "Before you go, I will give you all your memories back. I promise it won't hurt."

"Okay," I said, nervously.

She walked towards me and touched her nose to mine. Instantly, I saw everything that happened in my previous life. All the ones I do remember were coming together. I saw my death in my previous life. I was protecting Blue's owner from Darcia. I got shot in the back by Quent on accident. He was so scared and remorseful that it was painful to watch. He held me and pet me as I bled to death…

"I didn't realize how many adventures my friends and I had together," I said. "But Kiba said they never made it to Paradise."

"You won't remember, but after you died, your friends were killed one by one at the hands of Darcia. They lost hope of reaching Paradise when they found your body. They did everything they could to prevent Darcia from entering Paradise. Darcia failed. The world died and was reborn when Kiba and Cheza's blood mixed together. That's how everyone was able to reincarnate into your lives now. Unfortunately, Darcia's eye was left behind. That means that evil will still follow you along your journey to Paradise."

"Jaguara," I said with distaste. "Does that mean Darcia is still following us?"

"Yes," Mother said. "He will try to turn the real Paradise into Noble's Paradise. His wife, Hamona is with him. He wants to banish wolves from Paradise for all eternity. You must stop him."

"What about Quent, the old man?" I asked.

"Sadly, he is pursuing his path of evil. He wants revenge for his previous life," she had a hint of anger in her tone.

"I remember him saying to me once that humans hold onto the past, because they always need to hold onto feelings that are good and bad," I recalled.

Mother sighed. "For Darcia, Jaguara, and Quent, that is true. Sometimes humans become so stuck on the past that they can't move forward. They were reincarnated to learn to move forward, but they chose not to. They shaped their own destinies to be enemies of wolves. They wanted to be evil, so their souls never learned their lessons on Earth.

"That's why reincarnation exists: so we can experience life and learn our lessons from our time on Earth. Souls are meant to grow and evolve. Some evolve faster than others."

I was taken aback by my mother's words. "So, what does that mean for me?"

"Your life was cut short. You didn't get to experience what your soul was meant to accomplish. You were sent back to Earth to succeed in your journey to Paradise. Your fate is intertwined with your friends' fates. If you die, they will all die one by one and the cycle will repeat itself."

I nuzzled my mother desperately. "I will miss you so much."

"I will always love you, Toboe," she said. "Go."

I saw black. My body felt so tired. Suddenly, I felt lips on mine. Next thing I know, I'm coughing up water.


	17. Chapter 17

**Author's Note: I'm so sorry that I haven't updated in a long time! And it's worse that I left you all with a cliff-hanger. I'm so evil. LOL!**

* * *

Chapter 17

Toboe

I barely registered anything through the exclamations of excitement. Cheza tackled me into a hug. I only felt confusion. Why were they so upset? Oh, yeah. The orca almost drowned me. As soon as Cheza let me go, Blue held onto me in a tight embrace. Tears of relief were falling uncontrollably down her face. Kiba put his hand on my shoulder, as if to reassure himself that I was alive. His eyes were closed and his head was down. He looked shaken. Hige was yelling something, but I wasn't paying attention to him. I looked over at Tsume, who was staring at me with shock and disbelief. I smiled at him reassuringly. He didn't return the smile, but his face looked less tense.

"What the hell happened?!" Hige yelled, finally getting my attention. "You scared the life out of us!"

"Tell me about it," said Tsume, dryly.

"What do you remember?" Kiba asked.

"I remember the orca. I was losing oxygen fast. Next thing I know, I see this mesmerizing white light and then I saw my mom-" I broke off.

"Your heart stopped! You had no pulse. We kept trying to resuscitate you back to life for fifteen minutes. We thought you were gone," Hige informed me.

"I was…" I said. Everyone stared at me, their faces losing color. "I was reunited with my mom. She told me to come back to life. She gave me all my memories back!" Excitement was evident in my voice.

"Wait a minute, you really saw her?" Tsume asked.

"Yeah," I looked at Tsume. He had a worried expression on his face. I thought about my final memory. Could he be thinking about that too? Now was not the time to ask. I'll broach that conversation later.

"I'm glad you're okay," Kiba smiled. He looked relieved, his features were finally starting to relax. "We should find a cave and rest."

"No arguments here," Hige said.

We finally crossed the sea and found a nearby cave. Everyone was emotionally drained. Hige demanded that I lie down immediately. He's going into protective-mode. Great. I have a near-death experience and now everyone is babying me.

Kiba, Tsume, and Blue went out to hunt. Hige stayed behind to guard the cave. He glanced at me as if to assure himself I am still here. I thought now would be a good time to make conversation. Hige started talking first.

"I'm sorry if it seems like I'm pestering you," Hige apologized. "It's just… you really scared me for a minute there."

"Is it because of the way I died in my previous life?" I asked, abruptly.

Hige froze. "Sort of… yes." he admitted. "Paradise would be pointless if... you know. Darcia murdered you and there was nothing that we could do to help you."

"Darcia didn't kill me," I told him.

Hige looked at me suspiciously. Denial was evident in his eyes. All this time, he believed the assumption that Darcia shot me.

"I was protecting the old man from Darcia. The old man fired the shot, but I was in the way. I still kept fighting to stop Darcia from hurting the old man. Darcia shot him. I dragged myself over to the old man to comfort him. He held me as I died."

Hige looked angry. At whom, I wasn't sure. "You are too self-sacrificing for your own good. You put your life in danger and everyone mourned you when you were dead-"

Hige broke off when the others came back. Kiba looked between Hige and me. His eyes narrowed. He might have heard a little of Hige's rant. Tsume looked surprised. He set down the moose in the snow. We all ate. After we were finished, I told everyone that I was going for a walk.

"Take someone with you," Kiba said, his tone was deadly serious.

Hige didn't respond. He was still angry about my revelation. I hope he will forgive me. Blue looked tired.

Tsume stepped towards me. "I'll go."

I didn't say anything. I nodded and started walking in my wolf form. Tsume followed me until we were walking shoulder to shoulder. It was nice to have him there. I didn't try to talk, because I was still upset about everything that happened today.

"Are you okay?" Tsume broke the silence.

"Not really," I admitted.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked.

"Sure," I said. I waited a moment. "I'm sorry."

Tsume was taken aback. "You're sorry for almost dying?" he asked, incredulously.

"I'm sorry for what I put you guys through today… and in my previous life," I said, trying not to look at Tsume. He knew what I was talking about.

He stopped walking. "Neither of those times were your fault. You were attacked."

I hesitated. "The first time was my fault."

"What are you talking about?" Tsume asked.

"I sacrificed my life to save the old man. I tried to take down Darcia, but I didn't realize that he was going to fire his gun... and-" I couldn't bring myself to finish the sentence.

"Please tell me you didn't…" Tsume looked stricken.

"The old man shot me by accident," I continued. "It was all for nothing since Darcia shot him too." I felt genuinely guilty now.

"Toboe!" Tsume scolded. "Do you really think your life has less worth than that old man's? Do you really expect your pack to want you to give up your life for a man that has killed our kind for years? What the hell were you thinking?"

"No," I answered, feeling completely chastised. "I did what I thought was right. I didn't plan to get shot."

"'You did what you thought-'," Tsume broke off the sentence he was repeating. Tsume and I were in our human forms now. "Oh, my God." He put his hand on his forehead in frustration. "You're an idiot. You know that? Do you have any sense of self-preservation at all? We all went through hell when we found you dead. I felt guilty for letting you go alone to find the humans. I blamed myself, because I left you vulnerable against Darcia."

I gasped. "There was nothing you could have done. There was no other way to get the humans to safety and you had to get Hige and Blue."

Tsume closed his eyes. "You don't remember this, but I stayed behind when everyone went on to stop Darcia. I had to say good-bye."

"I'm sorry. I should have been more careful," I attempted to calm him down, but Tsume's temper only got worse.

"Yes, you should have!" He snapped. Tsume lowered his voice. "Don't ever throw away your life so recklessly again. If it ever came between you and the old man, the pack would choose you. You're one of us."

I didn't know what to say. I've never heard Tsume talk this way before. My eyes widened against my will. What do you say to something like that? I let my instincts do the talking and I hugged Tsume. His body was rigid for a moment. Showing affection is completely foreign to him. Tsume slowly wrapped his arms around me. It felt good. He never would've let me do this in my past life, but now he was different. I let him go after a few seconds. I didn't want Tsume to feel weird. He let me go too, but he gently put a hand on my shoulder in a brotherly kind of way. I felt lighter than I've ever felt. Happy.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Tsume

I felt lighter than I have ever felt in this life and my previous life combined. At least now I understand what happened before in my previous life, how Toboe's death started a chain reaction for the doom of the pack. I blamed Darcia at first, because he had no problem with killing one of us. It seemed like Darcia killed the old man too. Toboe died in the arms of the man who pulled the trigger. It was unsettling that Toboe protected and sought comfort from the man who ended his previous life.

I hope that old man is living a better life now. Hopefully, he won't pursue us anymore. Everything is as it should be.

"Tsume. Look," Toboe whispered.

I looked in the direction he was staring at. There was a dark figure walking towards us.

"Hey!" Toboe called to the mysterious and dark figure. "Who are you?"

Whoever the person was, they didn't respond. They started quickening their steps in our direction. The ends of my hair were standing up. This didn't feel right. I sensed that this person is a threat. I wanted to find out who it was.

"Toboe, get behind me," I told him.

He quickly obeyed. Toboe's eyes widened slightly. The pup could sense that there was something wrong. His survival instincts might have gotten sharper. I felt pride for the pup.

"Who are you?" I said, warningly to the strange person.

"You don't remember?" the man held a gun in his hands and pointed it at us.

A low growl escaped my throat. Definitely a threat. I looked at the man. He was around fifty in human years. His hair was greying. He had an air of anger around him, a burning hatred that destroyed his soul a long time ago.

"No…" Toboe said, his tone sad and reproachful. "It can't be. Quent?"

Oh, crap. This isn't good.

"Why?" Toboe asked. "Why are you hunting wolves? I thought you let that anger go."

"Far from it," Quent said.

I felt anger rise up in my chest.

"I don't understand," Toboe cried.

"You took something from me. Where is she?" Quent asked.

"What does it matter to you? You disowned her. Blue chose to be with us," I said. "She wasn't happy with you after she found out who she truly is. At least we can accept her, unlike you."

I wasn't thinking about my words. My mouth was forming words before I could filter them. It wouldn't help us to make the man more pissed off, but I didn't care. This bastard deserves to hear it.

"Shut up!" Quent yelled.

"What are you going to do with her?" Toboe asked.

"That doesn't concern you," Quent glared at Toboe.

"She belongs with the pack. She's Hige's mate. We can't let you take her!" Toboe said. He stepped in front of me. Much to my annoyance, I lifted an arm to hold him back but he ignored me. "My mother told me that you were on the path of evil. I promised Blue I would protect you if something happened to her. I told her that we would all go to Paradise together."

The old man's body went rigid at the mention of Blue's name.

"That's in the past. I made a deal with Darcia: If I kill the four of you and bring him the flower maiden, I can keep Blue and Darcia will allow us safe passage into Noble's Paradise. But only if I decimate your entire pack. I'll start with you." Quent pointed the gun at Toboe.

I lost it right then. This man is nothing but a drunken scum. I am not going to let him hurt my pack, my family. I attacked the old man. I ripped the gun out of his hands and broke it in half. I was on top of the old man, preparing for the killing blow to the jugular.

"Tsume, don't!" I stopped when I heard Toboe's voice. "Let's just leave him." Toboe's voice softened. He was looking at me with those big eyes of his.

I sighed and got up. I nodded to him to start running towards the cave. We started running as fast as we could to the others. When we finally got there, I saw Kiba pacing.

"It's about time," Hige said in exasperation.

"We need to go now!" Toboe said. "Quent's back. He's hunting us."

Blue gasped. "He can't be hunting us. Why would he?"

"He made a deal to work with Darcia. Quent can have you back and take you both to Noble's Paradise in exchange for getting rid of the four of us and handing over Cheza," I explained.

Blue's face looked broken. Hige hugged her tightly to his chest. She didn't give any indication that she was crying. She obviously hoped her former owner had changed.

"All right," Kiba said, agreeing with me. "Cheza, lead the way."

Cheza skipped out of the cave and we followed after her. We ran as fast as we possibly could. We didn't stop to rest. Cheza led the way to Paradise, just like old times. My heart was pounding after running for ten miles. We agreed to stop and rest.

I noticed Hige glaring at Toboe. What is his problem?

"Let's hope that we're safe for now," Toboe murmured.

"Yeah. Wouldn't want you to throw yourself in front of a bullet to save us, now would we?" Hige's tone was sarcastic.

"Cut the crap!" I said, feeling slightly irked by the comment.

"What are you talking about?" Kiba asked. He didn't understand the meaning behind Hige's words.

"Ask the runt. Ask him why he chose to be a martyr to save a worthless human!" Hige shouted, bitterly.

"Toboe?" Blue questioned. "Is this true? You risked your life to save Pops?"

Toboe didn't respond. He just lowered his eyes. I could only assume that he is at a loss for words.

"Why'd you do it?" Kiba asked. His voice was calm, but his tone had a slight edge to it.

"I guess I wanted to prove to him that his beliefs about wolves were wrong," Toboe answered.

That didn't satisfy me in the least. I felt my blood heating. Kiba's eyes widened slightly. The response seemed to put Hige over the edge.

"You moron!" Hige yelled. "That had better not be the only reason."

"Well, I made a promise to protect him," Toboe defended. "It was an accident, okay! I didn't see it coming. I was so focused on getting rid of Darcia that I didn't think the old man would pull the trigger."

"You walked in front of a gun that was ready to fire?" Hige asked. "You can't even take care of yourself!"

"What happened back then doesn't matter. What matters is that we have Quent and Darcia trying to hunt us now," Toboe said.

"That's not the point, Toboe. Just… for the love of God, don't do that again," Kiba said, softly. He looked Toboe right in the eyes. "Please."

If I didn't know any better, I'd say Kiba was begging. Kiba looked… sad.

"It won't happen again," Toboe agreed. "I promise." He turned his eyes to Hige. "I'm sorry."

Hige sighed, his anger dissipating. "I'm sorry too."

Toboe smiled.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Kiba

I could sense that we are not far from Paradise. I could feel it in my bones. Every fibre of my being urged me to keep going. I've dreamed of this moment for so long. I finally found my purpose. And more importantly, we were all safe and together. Separating the pack the first time was how we all fell. I'm not letting my family out of my sight this time. I'll protect them with my life.

Hige was about to be a father. I felt happy and scared for him at the same time. I'm happy that he will experience the joy of having pups. However, I'm just hoping that we don't see Darcia again. Hige deserved to go to Paradise to raise his pups.

Blue would be safer if she stayed out of the fighting if trouble comes. She is a more than capable fighter, but I can't risk her safety. Hige, Tsume, Toboe, and I can handle anything that comes at us. I respected her wholeheartedly, especially for everything that she's going through. She's having pups and now her old master is working with the enemy to get her back. Sympathy surged through my heart. I felt really bad for her. To be betrayed by the person she loved most in the world and suddenly he despises her for being born a wolf. I can only imagine how she must be feeling. I cursed the old man for neglecting and hurting Blue. She's a kind soul. She would make a good mother.

Tsume was very different now than he was before. He seemed sad when I met him in this life. I sensed that sadness is his primary emotion. In his previous life, anger was his primary emotion. Until he met us. He began to trust his kind again. I guess Tsume has Toboe to thank for that. The pup begged us to go back to Freeze City and look for him. As much as Tsume tried to hide it, he cared about Toboe in particular. He was very protective of the pup. I could see it every time he looked over his shoulder to make sure Toboe was okay. It never seemed to occur to Tsume that Toboe might die if he were defenseless. I didn't see that coming either. Losing Toboe the first time hit Tsume the hardest. That much was clear. I was shocked and broken by the loss too, but Tsume and Toboe had a bond.

Toboe still had the innocence of his former life. His big eyes could win over anyone. He still had the desire to be loved and accepted by those around him. I always wondered how he ended up alone on the streets. He never actually told us what happened to his pack or how he became so comfortable around humans. I don't know. What mattered was that he felt accepted by all of us, because he is. Wolves should not be alone.

I ran a few feet behind Cheza. She could run pretty fast for a girl so small. I wondered what would happen to her when we reached Paradise. Would she be allowed to enter Paradise? I hope so. She's a good person.

We stopped in front of a mountain. I recognized it. We had to climb it to enter Paradise. Unfortunately, this place brought back some bad memories. Most of us died here the first time. Everyone froze in recognition of this mountain, except for Toboe who just looked confused.

"What's wrong guys?" Toboe asked.

I hoped he wouldn't ask. "After your… death," I had a lump in my throat. "This is where all of us fell in our first life."

Toboe looked sad and closed his eyes. "Darcia was responsible for that… wasn't he?"

No one answered.

Toboe understood the answer to the question. "I'm so sorry."

"Just stay alive, Runt," Hige said, impatiently.

We all climbed the mountain as quickly as we could, but it's not easy since it was covered in ice. We were silent. The feeling of victory was intoxicating.

"How much further?" Hige called, trying to help Blue. It was hard for her to climb a mountain while pregnant.

"Almost there," Cheza said.

I instinctively stayed by Cheza's side. Hige let Tsume and Toboe walk ahead of Blue and him. I smiled inwardly. Blue has a very positive effect on Hige. Before Hige met Blue, he had been alone and carefree. Now Hige focuses on everyone's safety, especially Blue.

"Not so fast," a menacing voice growled.

"You," I bared my teeth. White-hot fury ran through my veins. "Get out of our way!"

"Why would I want to do that?" Darcia said. "Give me the Flower Maiden and I will spare you."

"Like we would believe anything you say!" Hige said, sarcastically.

"You'd better listen to him," a familiar voice appeared. Quent. The old man.

"Pops," Blue gasped. "I didn't want to believe-"

"Blue, come back to me," Quent said.

"I am a wolf, this is where I belong," Blue answered.

"Blue-!" Quent began.

"Enough!" Darcia yelled. "Give up hope for Paradise or die. It's your choice."

"Never!" I charged straight towards Darcia.

Quent pointed his gun right at me, not that I noticed. I unleashed all my fury on the noble who brutally murdered my pack. I don't care if I'm being reckless. All I know for certain is that I can see is red, the desire to kill overwhelming my my thoughts. I wanted to make him suffer for what he did to my pack.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Toboe

I saw Quent point the gun at Kiba and immediately rushed to protect my alpha. I ran at Quent in blindingly fast speed and bit down on his arm. Normally, I wouldn't do something like this but desperate times call for desperate measures. Quent yelled in pain. He punched me with his free hand and I yelped in surprise. I unintentionally loosened my grip and fell to the ground. Quen pointed the gun in my direction. I got up slowly.

"Damn wolves," Quent muttered. "You will be the first one to die."

I growled. It's not going to end like this. If I move, I'm dead. If I just stand here, I'm dead. I saw a flash of dark fur attack Quent. Blue. She bit into Quent's hand, the one that held the gun. Quent tried to shove her away, but to no avail. The old man unwittingly pulled the trigger several times. I took the opportunity to knock the old man over and rip the gun out of his hands. I threw the gun over the cliff. He's harmless without a weapon. I don't want to kill the old man. I just want to stop him from harming my pack.

I turned around and saw Hige, Kiba, and Tsume fighting Darcia. One after the other, they took turns coming at the noble. I had to admit, Darcia is a good fighter. I saw Cheza waiting for us. I nodded at Blue to tell her to follow me. I ran towards Cheza and Blue followed suit. Cheza led us in the direction to Paradise. I followed her to crater-shaped edge. She motioned to go down. I hesitated. Sensing my reluctance, she walked towards the edge of the cliff and fell. I panicked. I jumped down after her.

I felt my my lungs aching for breath. I held my breath as I fell down into the darkness. I finally landed on solid ground. I desperately searched for Cheza. I found her. Cheza's short hair was plastered to her face and the ends stood up at odd angles.

"Cheza!" I called. I ran over to her. "What are you doing?"

"This one will open Paradise," Cheza replied.

"How?" I asked.

Cheza didn't answer. Music filled my ears. She was humming the sad song she always sings.

"Toboe!"

I turned. It was Blue. She ran over to me. Time seemed to stop as Darcia appeared out of nowhere and held a gun aimed straight at Blue. I growled. _He's not going to lay one finger on her!,_ I thought. I charged at Darcia to defend Blue. I barely had time to register the sword that Darcia had strapped to his back before he drew it out. He parried swiftly and I ignored the white-hot wound on my shoulder. He had the advantage. This was his plan. I attacked as fiercely as I could. He looked bored.

"This isn't a fair fight," Darcia said. "Only if you and I are equals can we truly end this once and for all."

He changed his appearance into a wolf. At least I have a chance of protecting Blue. Blue got behind me as if she were preparing to help me fight Darcia. I looked at Blue.

"Stay out of it, Blue!" I warned her.

I turned back to my enemy and charged. We crashed into each other and I felt my fur ripping and blood dripping down my body. Darcia was stronger, more experienced. I kept fighting like my life depended on it, because it did. Darcia picked me up with his teeth and I went flying. My broken body collided with the cold ground. I tried to get up, but I felt his teeth once again sink deeply through my fur into my skin. He shook me violently back and forth. I cried out in pain.

* * *

Tsume

I ran as fast as I could to catch up with that bastard. He decided to turn into a human and evade us. Kiba, Hige and I knew that he was going after Toboe, Blue, and Cheza. There was no way of knowing how fast I was moving. I didn't care. My family was in danger. Blue couldn't fight in her condition. Cheza couldn't fight, period. That left Toboe alone to face Darcia. My blood went cold. The fear I felt in that moment chilled me down to the bone. Toboe wasn't the greatest fighter. He was just a kid.

"TOBOE!"

Blue cried out in pure horror. The momentum of my body doubled as I followed that spine-tingling scream. The others were next to me, equally worried. We finally made it to an open area in the mountain where I saw Blue and Cheza. I looked around desperately for Toboe. I caught sight of Darcia. He had his paw on Toboe's throat, preparing to make the fatal bite to the throat!

I charged Darcia. He didn't get a chance to react. I had him pinned underneath my paws. All I can feel is white-hot hatred for the man who has repeatedly attacked my family. I saw red. At this moment, I want him dead more than anything. He hurt Toboe, the first friend I've ever had in a long time. The pup was the first wolf in the world to accept me for who I am. He cared about me no matter how I treated him. Darcia was going to pay for the damage he's caused. I lifted my paw and slashed him across his throat, giving the killing strike. He didn't move.

I got up and looked at my friends. They stared at me. Kiba, in his human form, walked over to me and put his hand on my shoulder. The others turned into their human forms.

"Are you alright?" Kiba asked.

"Yeah," I answered.

Kiba smiled. He then turned his gaze to Toboe's limp form on the ground. Kiba rushed over and shook Toboe's body. Kiba desperately searched for signs of life in the kid. The others rushed over too. I slowly got down on one knee and examined Toboe's wounds.

"Come on, Runt, don't do this!" Hige begged.

"Toboe," Kiba whispered. His eyes revealed any emotion he was trying so hard to suppress. I know him well enough to tell what he's trying to hide behind his emotionless facade.

Toboe groaned. "I'm… okay."

Relief flooded through me. I don't think I've ever been so happy in my life. The kid was bleeding from pretty ugly wounds. Hopefully, they will heal in Paradise.

"Oh, God!" Hige sagged in relief. "You gave us a heart attack, damn it!"

"Sorry. I was playing dead in order to fool Darcia," Toboe admitted.

"You don't have to be that good an actor! It looked like you were gone!" Hige scolded.

"I'll remember that for next time," Toboe said.

Everyone got so quiet that you could cut the tension with a knife. Hige glared in mock anger, Kiba's eyes widened slightly, and Blue stared at him like he had two heads. That quip didn't sit well with me either.

"NOT. FUNNY," Hige growled.

"Please don't joke about that," Blue said.

"Let's go home," Kiba said.

We all turned to Cheza. The gates to Paradise were finally open. We wasted no time and walked right through.

* * *

Epilogue

Toboe

We all found a future in Paradise. We lived together peacefully for all eternity. There was peace, happiness, joy, and fun. Paradise was even better than Heaven. Blue had her pups and formed a happy family with Hige helping her raise them. We were all happy. We were together. A family. There was always a sense of belonging here in Paradise, especially now that the pack can never be apart. We all love each other. And I am content to live this way… forever.


End file.
